


The Missing Heart of Wonderland

by Syachisan



Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Action, Adventure, F/M, M/M, Stingsu - Freeform, Suspense, Yaoi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-01-31
Updated: 2016-05-13
Packaged: 2018-05-17 08:04:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 27
Words: 22,767
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5860795
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Syachisan/pseuds/Syachisan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A land equally divided by four kingdoms; Spades, Clubs, Diamonds, and Hearts ruled over Wonderland.<br/>Spade ruled his kingdom with an iron fist and was known for his army and government, he controlled the trade within Wonderland. Club's kingdom was known for it's agriculture. Their part of the land was fertile and they were in charge of the production of food. Diamond's kingdom was filled with riches such as gold, silver, and gems. Heart's kingdom was  in charge of the order of all kingdoms, making sure no wars waged between them. Although, Hearts has been missing for more than a decade. Wonderland was no longer in peace. Until one day, Hearts finally came back. He forgot who he was and  addressed himself as Natsu. What will become of the Kingdom of Hearts?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Return to Wonderland

**Author's Note:**

> Finally, made an Archive! "Missing Heart" has now spread to new waters! Yay!

Prologue...

Treading through the deep fairy dust snow, Spade's army marched through the rough terrain. Diamond's army marched beside them. A war against Clubs' Kingdom was about to begin.

"I am forever in your debt for helping me, Diamond." Spade thanked the blonde male and bowed his head. "Clubs has had his blockades up for long enough. Both our kingdoms are starving and it's time to take action..."

"Agreed." Diamond nodded and frowned a bit. Looking over his army, he sighed, "If only Heart was still here then none of this will be happening."

The black-haired male glanced at the young king and smiled a small smile. "You've always been close to my little brother... Hopefully, someday he'll come back, and peace will once again be restored in Wonderland."

"Yeah..." He mumbled softly. "It's been so long... Do you think he remembers us?... Do you think he remembers me?"

Spade took a moment of silence and spoke, "I can't say so. Heart is... probably dead."

"Don't say that! Have more hope for your brother! I believe he's still alive!" Diamond said, with his eyes wide with despair.

"It's been more than ten years... What is there to believe in?" The black-haired jack turned away from Diamond and continued to command his army to move forward.

"I believe. That's all there is too it." The blonde whispered, knowing that Spade couldn't hear. _Please, Heart... Come back to us..._ Praying, he stared up at the starry sky. _Wonderland is falling apart without you._

End of Prologue...

 

As the school dismissal bell rang, everyone rushed out of the classroom. School was finally over and summer has arrived.

"Have a good summer!" Natsu shouted to his classmates as he smiled and waved bye.

Happy the White Rabbit, who was sent by the Hatter, stood outside, spying on Natsu while glancing at his pocket watch every so often. "We finally found you Heart... Hehe! I can't wait to tell the Hatter about this!" Happy squealed with excitement.

Looking out the window, Natsu caught him in his gaze and raised an eyebrow. _What is that? A rabbit? Or is it a cat? And why does it have four ears?_ He shook his head. _I must be high or something..._

The white rabbit gasped and went to hide. "Oh no! He saw me! What do I do?!" Happy panicked.

"!!! Hey! Wait!" The pinkette called as he rushed out of the door. _Where did it go?!_ Hearing a rustle in the bushes, he turned his head and saw it running off into the woods behind the school.

"Okay, Happy..." The white rabbit spoke to himself as he panted, running as fast as he can. "Remember what the Hatter said... Lure Heart back to Wonderland!"

Chasing after the rabbit, Natsu was following it's tail until he saw it disappear into a hole. "WHOA-SHIT!" Almost running into the deep hole, he quickly stopped himself and stared down it. _That's one deep hole! Only an idiot would jump in!_ He panted and tried to catch his breath. _What am I saying? It's just a rabbit hole. It has an end... Right?_ Looking down the hole again he sighed. "You only live once..." Bracing himself, he took a step forward and jumped in.

"AAAAAAAHHHH!!!! SHIIIIIIIIT!!!!!!" The pinkette yelled as he continued to fall endlessly.

Furniture was floating everywhere and cupboards were oddly nailed into the walls of the hole. He tried to get a grip on one of the boards, but they snapped quickly from the force of his weight. Thinking that he will die, Natsu shut his eyes and prayed that it will end.

Suddenly, a pink cape clipped onto his shoulders and acted like a parachute as he gently touched the ground. The cape fell over his face and he brushed it away, magically being clothed into a very detailed outfit with heart designs in many shades of red and pink.

"W-..What?" He sputtered as he looked around.

A dim ray of moonlight shined through the exit of the hole and he crawled through it. On the other side, he was greeted by the sight of tall snow-covered flowers from the harsh blizzard that was currently blowing.

"Where the hell am I?" Natsu said in disbelief with wide eyes.

"Wonderland." Happy answered, sitting on top of a snow-covered mushroom. "Welcome back, Heart."

* * *

 

Diamond laid in his tent, unable to sleep. He was still thinking of Heart. _I'm sorry Heart... I know war is wrong, but... I don't know how to stop it... Only you could... Forgive me._ Sighing he rolled on his side, trying to find a comfortable position to sleep in. He needed to rest. Their plan of attack was first thing in the morning.

Finally shutting his eyes, he was disturbed by the sound of someone opening the zipper of his tent.

"Diamond, get up! It's important!" Spade whispered a bit loudly while nudging the blue-diamond king.

"What do you want?!" He rasped. "Don't tell me we're fighting already!"

"It's the White Rabbit! The Hatter's servant! He-"

"I found Heart!" Happy quickly butted in. "He passed out from the cold! I can't carry him by myself!"

"Heart?!" Getting up in a flash, Diamond slipped out of the tent and the two kings ran, following Happy through the snow.

"There! He's right over there!" The white rabbit pointed with his ears at the pinkette laying in the snow.

Spade ran over to his brother's body and shook him awake. "Heart! Heart! Wake up!"

Opening his eyes slowly, Natsu groaned in discomfort and looked up at the black-haired male.

"H-Heart! O-Oh my god! It's really you!" Diamond stammered, feeling tears roll down his eyes as he smiled widely, kneeling down with Spade.

Natsu blinked with his colorless eyes and looked at the two males. "W-Who's Heart?"

Shocked, Spade and Diamond stared at him with wide eyes.

"You're Heart... Don't you remember?" The blonde asked.

"N-No... My name's not Heart. I-I'm Natsu Dragneel..."

 


	2. Ace Heart

_Wonderland. Many years ago..._

"Diamond, we all know your kingdom has been stealing food from our crops! Don't play me for a fool!" Clubs shouted across the wide open field with his army behind him. "Give back what you have stolen now, or else!"

The blue-diamond king glared at the Kingdom of Clubs' leader. "We haven't stolen anything! We were only getting what was ours. My kingdom is starving because of you. You have not given us our ration of food for three months!" He shouted back, earning a mighty cheer of agreement from his own army.

"That's because you haven't sent your side of the deal! I don't remember there being any gold at my doorstep!"

Diamond grunted in irritation. "I told you already. Our mines have ran dry on gold... We've sent you 100 pounds of silver instead, but you didn't accept what we had to offer."

"And why the hell would I need silver?! 100 pounds of silver is a penny worth compared to one pound of gold!" Clubs said in disgust, offended.

The blonde sighed and looked back at his army, debating if he should attack or not. _And most people take me as the greedy one... I wouldn't give a damn on how much treasure I have if my people are dying._

"This isn't the first time you stole from me, Diamond... I'm not letting you get away without a fight." The green-clover king said as he growled under his breath.

Diamond started to sweat and grind his teeth. As much as he hated the dark-haired king, he didn't want to fight. Not when his own men were weak from malnutrition. "You starve my kingdom to death and now you're looking for a fight? Are you mad?"

Gripping the handle of his sword, Clubs started to speak in a more threatening tone. "I'm no Hatter... Return our food or you'll pay with your blood."

Deciding to remain silent, Diamond tugged on the reins of his horse, backing up. His army did the same and waited for their leader's permission to attack.

Clubs stared at him with a blank face, seeing fear in Diamond's eyes. Turning his head towards his army, he said, "Show them no mercy."

In a blink of an eye, the Kingdom of Clubs' army charged across the open field and hollered. Diamond's army charged forward as well, but their strong image was completely destroyed as the two kingdoms collided.

One by one, Diamond's men were killed in a matter of seconds. Blood painted the grass in red and horses ran away, trampling over dead bodies. Diamond watched in shock at the chaos as he tried to avoid the incoming swords and axes. He didn't want any of this to happen. He only wanted to feed his people.

Another army came forward and cut the field in half, dividing the greens from the blues. The men rode on pure white horses and wore red with hearts somewhere on their uniform.

 _The Kingdom of Hearts! Finally!_ Diamond cheered in his mind, glad to see that the peacemakers of Wonderland arrived.

"Curses! Who told you that there was a battle here, King Heart!" Clubs scoffed in disbelief and sheathed his sword. Looking through the crowd of red soldiers, he tried to find their old red-haired leader. "Show yourself, King Heart! Don't be a coward!"

"King Heart will no longer speak with you, Clubs." A male said in a red hood.

Quickly taking out his sword again, the dark-haired male pointed it at the hooded-male. "Who gave you the right to speak commoner!"

 _Clubs threatens every person he sees, I swear..._ Diamond thought as he rolled his eyes. Staring at the stranger, he could see a slight smirk form on his lips.

"I did." The male said as he pulled his hood back, revealing his pink hair. "King Heart is dead. He crowned me as the new ruler on his death bed."

Both armies gasped in shock.

"W-What... What happened...? How did King Heart die?!" Diamond stuttered, his eyes widening in despair.

Dipping his head, the pink-haired male sighed. "King Heart died from a terrible sickness. Not even magic could save him."

"Dear God..." Clubs, who was equally shocked, stared down at the ground. "I'm sorry for your loss." Kneeling on one knee, he bowed in respect and so did Diamond. "What name do they call you, your highness?"

"No need for the formalities." The pinkette spoke gently with a kind smile. "I'm Ace. Ace Heart."


	3. Lost Memory

"Natsu..? No... No. Your name can't be Natsu." Spade mumbled and stood up, helping Natsu stand up as well. "The rabbit hole must of gave you false memories."

Natsu blinked in confusion. "False memories? I don't understand what you're saying..."

"You're Heart, Wonderland's peacemaker. This _Natsu_ person is not real. None of your memories on the other side of the rabbit hole are real..." Diamond tried to explain. "Well... They happened physically, but your life there was a lie."

The pink-haired male still appeared to be confused. He didn't believe any of the nonsense that the blonde spoke about. "No. _This_ is a lie. It's all a dream, and I need to wake up."

Pinching his own arm, Natsu closed his eyes and opened them, hoping that he'll find himself back home. Instead, he opened his eyes to still see Diamond and Spade. "W-what? I don't get it?... Why am I still here?"

"This isn't a dream." Spade said firmly. "It's all very real, and you need to come back to your senses, Heart."

"Stop calling me that!" Natsu shouted, stomping his foot in the snow.

Sighing, Spade decided it was time to give up. "We have no time for this. Clubs isn't going to attack himself. Let's go back to rest and start moving once the sun rises."

"Agreed." The blonde nodded. "Come, Heart-or-uh-..Natsu?"

"Yeah?"

"We can share a tent. There's enough room." Diamond zipped open the tent and let Natsu slip in. "You'll need to get all the sleep you can. We're leaving right when the first ray of sunlight appears."

"Okay." Just going with it, Natsu obeyed and laid down on other side of the tent. Everything went black as he shut his eyes.

* * *

 

Waking up to the sound of metal clanking, Natsu rubbed his eyes and zipped the tent open. Diamond and Spade's troops were already marching away.

"Good morning, Natsu." Diamond smiled as he looked down at the pinkette, who was crawling out of the tent.

"Morning, Diamond... So, uh, where is everyone going?" Natsu asked, standing up and dusting snow off his knees.

"To Club's Kingdom... Spade is starting a war with them and I'm helping him." The blonde answered, sorrow detected in his voice. "Maybe this wouldn't be happening if we found Heart, but you know... You aren't him..."

Natsu felt a stab of guilt pierce through him. _I wish I believed I was... But it's too confusing. I'm just a normal student... Right?_

Diamond sighed. "Sorry, I shouldn't of said that... Um... Come on, let's go. We can leave the tent. It doesn't matter."

The pinkette nodded and followed the blue-diamond king _. I... I feel like I shouldn't be here... Hopefully, I won't stay here too long._

The black and blue armies maneuvered through the forest, trusting that the trees will hide them from Club's sky patrol. If they were spotted entering the Kingdom, their plan of attack will be ruined.

Natsu trudged along in the deep fairy dust snow, staring at the treetops above him. He noticed that the leaves were still green and healthy, giving off a neon glow. "Isn't it the middle of winter? How come these trees aren't bare?"

Spade turned his attention to his younger brother and smiled. "Those are Shamrock trees. Their leaves always glow, and their glow never dies... Club's soil is very fertile, and these trees are the very entity of why all plants flourish on his lands. The leaves of the Shamrock tree absorbs happiness from the kingdom and puts nutrients into the soil... They're quite beautiful, huh?"

The pink-haired male awed in astonishment. "Yeah... It's beautiful."

The black-spade jack chuckled a bit and refrained himself from giving the pinkette a noogie. "It's funny... I had the same conversation with Heart when he was still small..." 

Natsu didn't say anything else and looked down. _Heart... He sounds like a nice guy... Could I really be him? Or is it just a coincidence that I look like him?... Then again, I don't remember anything from my past-and what the hell is that?!_

The pinkette stopped in his tracks as he saw a purple creature in the trees. It was a purple and pink-striped cat with wild yellow eyes in the shape of swirls. 

The cat jumped down from the tree and as it landed a puff of purple smoke clouded around it. Once the smoke faded away, there stood a red-haired male with cat ears and a tail, wearing purple and pink clothing. In Natsu's opinion, his clothes looked like he was a hunter from a RPG. 

The red-haired male grinned the widest grin Natsu has ever seen, and chortled devilishly while flicking his tail. "King Clubs isn't going to be happy once he learns that you're on his territory~" He mewed, before getting punched in the face by the blonde male, stumbling onto the ground.

"You're not going to tell him anything on my watch!" Diamond shouted, pointing the tip of his sword at the cat-like male's face. "I'm still pissed that you're even working for him, Cheshire!" 

 

 


	4. Long Live the King

_Wonderland. Many years ago..._

"There will be no battle today." Heart ordered, turning his back on the two kings.

Clubs grunted and threatened the pinkette with his sword, pointing the tip at the back of his neck. "I'm not going to back down just because a newbie king told me to!"

The pink-haired ace turned around, facing the tip of his sword. "Stares pierce skin harder than swords..." He said, glaring at the older male. "You will do what I say because you know what's good for you."

Heart's army stepped forward, swords and spears in hand. The red army was still healthy and strong, unaffected by the famine.

Overwhelmed and outnumbered, Clubs did what he was told and dropped his sword. He bit the bottom of his lip in anger and embarrassment, a small pink hue forming on his cheeks.

Diamond watched Heart's army leave, amazed at how they stopped Clubs without a fight. _Wow... Ace Heart, huh?...Looks like Wonderland will be in an era of peace... May the Ace of Hearts live long._

* * *

 

"Ace! I mean, your highness! Are you alright?" The white-haired female asked as she ran over to her master, who has just arrived from stopping Clubs war.

"Yeah! Yeah! Are you alright, your highness?!" The smaller white-haired female asked as well, sounding more worried than the other.

"Yes. I'm fine. I'm fine... Sheesh!" Heart chuckled a bit and ruffled the younger female's hair. "Lisanna. Mirajane. I thought I told you two to just call me Ace. Your highness was my father... Hehe."

Lisanna blushed and girl-smacked her master's hand away from her hair. "Don't touch my hair like that... You're a king!"

"Eh? But before you let me do it all the time...?"

"Well, that was when you were.... when you were.... you know?"

"Still Ace?" Mirajane laughed a little at her sister.

Heart smiled and laughed too. "Lisanna, just because I'm king doesn't mean I changed. I'm still the same Ace Heart."

The younger white-haired servant puffed out her cheeks and crossed her arms. "Well, okay... But things will be different from now on..."

"Enough of your sulking, Lisanna," her elder sister scolded. "It's a good thing you didn't get hurt, Ace. You still didn't go through your Crystallization with the Hatter."

"Yes, I know. I'll get to it right away." Heart kissed their foreheads and walked away. "Good day, ladies."

"Good day, Ace!"

The pinkette walked down the castle corridors, glad to have his servants off his back. Even before he was king, they always wanted to know how he's been. What can he say? All his servants adored him. He was the perfect peacemaker for Wonderland.

"Oh! Sister! I was looking everywhere for you, Erza." Heart greeted with a smile.

The red-haired female only glared at him, but greeted back. "Hello, Ace..."

"Are you still upset that father died, sis?" The red-heart ace asked, a bit worried for her.

"No... I'm fine, Ace... I've always been like this..." Erza rasped coldly, starting to walk off in the other direction. "Good day, Ace..."

"Um... Good day...?" Heart waved slightly. _That was a bit rude... She could of at least let me kiss her forehead goodbye..._ He sighed. _Something is off... I just hope she doesn't do anything rash._

Heart continued to walk, making his way into a room. Inside he saw bottles and flasks of different colored liquids, and at the end of the the room, there stood the craziest person he knew, stirring away at the concoctions. Even though she was crazy, the Hatter was one of his close friends. "Hatter, you're looking terrible as ever!"

"Oi? Is that Ace Heart I hear?" The blonde female asked as she saw him standing at the entrance. "My teacups, it is you, your lowness!" She chortled as she stormed over to hug him.

The pinkette laughed and hugged back. "Are you enjoying your lab, Hatter? I always remembered that father wanted you to feel at home."

Hatter nodded, smiling widely. "I am, Heart! This place is horrid!"

"That's great to hear, Hatter. Anyways, I came here for my Crystallization. Did you get it ready?"

"Oh, Heart! Too bad, because I did!" The blonde female laughed and pulled her friend to the back of the room. "The pot is already boiling and toiling for you."

The pink-haired ace looked into the pot, seeing the bubbling blue liquid. "That's great! We'll get started then."

"Yep. Now, wherever you keep your card, may I have it?" Hatter asked, holding out her hand.

Heart nodded and pulled out his ace of hearts card from his vest pocket. "Here it is." He placed it on her hand.

Hatter stared at it, baffled. "My teacups! You keep something as important as this in your vest pocket?! Why I never! I can't believe you're still alive, you little daredevil!"

The pinkette shrugged. "I know, but only cowards bury their weaknesses."

"Hmmm... I say, Heart. I say... You are a very strange man... Strange indeed... The strange tend to be wise... No?" The blonde female smiled, dropping the card into the pot.

The blue liquid puffed into smoke, forming crystals around the card. In a few seconds, Hatter pulled it out from the pot and handed it to the pinkette.

"There. The Crystallization is over." She said.

Heart stared at his card. A crystal-like film covered it. "Thanks, Hatter."

"No, problem. Anything for you! No tear will ever be forced onto that card. You are immortal like the rest, Ace Heart."

 


	5. Cheshire's Candidate

Cheshire laughed, a wide grin still spread across his face. "Your sword doesn't scare me, Diamond." He said as he _poofed_  behind the blonde, pinning him down onto the ground with his foot.

Diamond let out a small _oof_ as the male forced a foot on his back, cursing under his breath. "Damn you, you fleabag!"

"Fleabag? That's pretty rude... You should be more polite because I'm the one who has the sword now~" The red-haired male mewed, chuckling as a purple mist held the sword against Diamond's neck. The blue army unsheathed their weapons, prepared to save their king, until a large wave of pressure knocked them down. "No army of yours will be saving you, Diamond!" He chortled, raising the sword into the air with his mist, about to behead the blonde male.

"Stop!" Natsu shouted as he latched onto the cat-like male's arm. "Don't hurt, Diamond! He didn't do anything wrong! Let him go!"

Shocked, Cheshire's purple mist gently placed the sword on the ground. "M-master is that you..? I thought you were dead..." His eyes clouded with grief and his ears drawn back. "How are you back?"

 _Master?_ The pinkette stared into his purple eyes. They looked familiar. "I'm sorry, but I'm not the person who you think I am..."

"What do you mean? Do you not remember me?" Cheshire's mew sounded desperate as his tail flicked.

"He doesn't remember anything," grunted Diamond as he stood up, sheathing his sword. "The rabbit hole gave him false memories. He calls himself Natsu, not Heart."

The red-haired male looked down at the ground, disappointed to hear the news. "Well, at least you're okay, Master." He smiled a bit.

Natsu tilted his head in confusion. "Why do you keep calling me that?"

Cheshire's ear twitched and he tried to explain. "We made a contract... Well, I made a contract with Heart... He was my candidate. While, Heart was gone, I've been serving Clubs instead."

"Why did you choose to serve Clubs out of all people? With you on his side, he's been more greedy with his food supply than ever." Spade spat, crossing his arms as he waited for an answer.

"That's why I chose him. He has all the food, which means he has more power." The red haired male said, hugging the pinkette. "But that doesn't matter anymore because my dear Master has returned! I will be serving him once again!"

Natsu sighed and let the cat-like male hug him, watching his tail wag like a wave. "It will take me awhile to get use to you..." He mumbled, stroking his red hair. "Lucky for you, I like cats."

Cheshire laughed and transformed back into his cat form, nestling in the pink-haired male's arms. "I'm going to enjoy this~" He purred, swishing his tail side to side.

"Are you sure we can trust him...?" Diamond asked, glaring at the purple ball of fur.

The purple feline hissed at the blonde and went back to cuddling the pinkette's arm.

Natsu laughed and stroked the fluffy cat. "Oh, come on, Diamond. A little kitten like this can't be that harmful..."

"Actually it can," retorted Spade. "The second most powerful being in Wonderland is curled up in your arms..."

The pink-haired male blinked in astonishment. "Really? That's awesome!"

"I don't think you understand..." The black-haired male sighed. "Well, you are his candidate, so he'll listen to what ever you say. Maybe we can use him for our ambush on Clubs. Anyways, let's go." The black army continued to march through the forest, the blue one following behind.

Natsu walked between the two kings, cuddling his loving kitty. "He's so cute!" He said, fawning over the purring cat. 

Diamond sighed and smiled as he watched the pinkette. There's no denying it. He was jealous of Cheshire.

 

 


	6. A Ruby Among Diamonds

_Wonderland. Many years ago..._

"King Diamond! Are we there yet?" Yukino asked as she stumbled beside the blonde male.

"Whoa!" Diamond quickly caught her and laughed. "Try not to fall on your face all the time, Lady Yukino. This is the eleventh time I caught you..." He mumbled the last part as a sweat drop rolled down his face.

Yukino blushed and stood up straight, dusting off her light-blue dress. "Sorry, your highness!" She said said, bowing her head. "I can't think straight! That's all..."

"That's fine. It's my fault for bringing you instead of Rogue."

"W-What does that mean?! Are you just saying that because I'm a woman!"

The blue-diamond king stepped back, raising up his hands in defense. "No no! I didn't mean anything of the sort! I thought I was being nice!"

The silver-haired female puffed out her cheeks and crossed her arms. "You're lucky that your the king because if you weren't, I'd smack your face for harassing me..." She continued to walk, refusing to look at the blonde's face. "Well, let us continue. You did say you needed to give Heart something important, right?"

Diamond sighed and followed her. "Yes. I feel like he deserves it... Besides, I never got the chance to give it to King Heart..." He looked down, feeling upset from the remembrance of the previous king. "Ace Heart reminds me of him, but at the same time... He's very different..."

Yukino smiled a bit and kept walking. Everyone knew that Diamond was a good friend of the red-haired king. He was really attached to the Kingdom of Hearts. 

* * *

 

"Ace! King Diamond has came to visit you!" informed Mirajane as she came rushing into the throne room.

Heart was examining his crystallized card and quickly hid it in his vest pocket as he sat on his throne. He felt a bit awkward sitting in the big chair. Never in his life did he imagine that he would even call it _his throne_. "Let him in," he said, curious to why the blue-diamond king came to visit him.

Many of the servants came to see what was going on, standing along on the side of the carpet that led to the throne chair. Even Erza was among them, standing in the shadows. 

Diamond walked in, his blue clothing standing out from all of the red and pink shades, accompanied by Yukino, who stood behind him. "It's nice to see you, Heart." He greeted, bowing his head slightly, in a polite manner.

Heart nodded, smiling a bit to lighten up the mood. "It's nice to see you as well. And you don't have to be so formal with me, remember? We're friends..."

The blonde raised his head up and blushed a bit. A red hue formed on his pale cheeks. "Ah, yes... Friends..." He smiled back, taking a box from his silver-haired servant. "I came to bring you this. It was a present meant for King Heart, but he's already passed... So it's only appropriate to be handing it down to you."

Diamond opened the box, earning a wave of gasps as Heart's servants laid their eyes on the red ruby inside it. 

Heart stared at it, mesmerized by it's enchanting color. "That's very kind of you... What is it? A ruby?" The pinkette stood up from his throne, walking over to examine the gem. He carefully picked it up and watched the sunlight shine through it. 

The blonde closed the box and sighed. "Not just any ruby... It was found a long time ago when Nine of Diamonds ruled over my kingdom. It was passed down to me through many generations. It puzzles me though... This was the only ruby we found in the mine shafts. Our grounds only provide gold, silver, diamonds, and sapphire... So I feel like this ruby doesn't belong in my possession... You can have it, Heart. It's yours."

The pink-haired ace slipped the ruby into the same pocket where he put his card. "Thank you, Diamond. I'll be sure to cherish it the rest of my life. My kingdom thanks you for your generosity."

Diamond smiled and nodded. "And I cherish our friendship."

 

 

 

 

 


	7. The Ambush

"So, does Clubs know that were coming?" Diamond asked, glaring at the purple cat as he continued to cuddle Natsu.

"Not exactly..." Cheshire purred, crawling onto the pinkette's shoulder. "He knows we're coming, but I don't think he knows we're coming at this moment."

"Don't give me that bullshit. I know that _you know_ everything." The blonde spat, poking the purple cat's nose.

"I don't know _everything_ , your lowness... Not when I'm not connected with a host."

"Host?" Natsu glanced at the cat on his shoulder and tried to interpret what he said. "Could that host be me? Since I'm your so called candidate."

Cheshire swished his tail, smacking Diamond in the face. "Yes. You are my host, but in the current state of confusion you're in, I can not connect to your mind. My powers are cut down by two-thirds without your to help..."

"Wow..." The pink-haired male blinked. "I must of been pretty important when I was Heart."

Spade let out a single laugh and rolled his eyes. "You have no idea."

"Enough talking! We've already reached the south end of Club's castle... They can hear us from here..." Diamond ordered, hushing the group and both armies.

Natsu stopped walking, staring at the stone wall in front of them. _So this is his castle? I can't believe no one's guarding this side...._

"So, what's the plan?" Spade whispered to the blonde male. "Are we still going with Plan A? Surround the castle and cause havoc while one team steals a ration?"

"Yes." Diamond whispered back, glancing back at the pinkette and purple cat. "Natsu... Cheshire... You'll be responsible for stealing the supply. Now, I'm trusting that you'll keep Heart-I mean Natsu safe, Cheshire... I doubt that he remembers sword fighting..."

Cheshire nodded, curling his tail around Natsu's neck. "He'll be safe in my paws. I'll use the power that I have to protect him." 

"Good." The blue-diamond king nodded, watching Spade as he shot a grappling hook over the wall. "Climb the wall now and sneak in. Cheshire should know where Clubs keeps his food supply."

"Okay." Natsu heaved out as he grasped the rope, climbing up with all the strength he had. Reaching the top of the wall, Cheshire _poofed_ beside him without needing to climb. _Lucky cat..._

The pinkette followed the purple feline through a door, running down a set of spiraling stairs. He made sure to keep quiet, but tried to be as fast as he can.

"We're on the south end, so we need to reach the west end. It's not far." Cheshire mewed, running down the hall, his pawsteps quiet. 

Natsu nodded and ran close behind. He didn't see any guards. Probably because they were fighting with Diamond and Spade's army. The sound of war cries and sword clashing came from outside.

 _I hope Diamond will be okay..._ The pink-haired male thought as hid behind a green curtain after hearing someone coming around the corner. _Dammit, Natsu! Now's not the time to be worrying about him! I need to stay focused. I was nearly caught... That was too close..._

"King Clubs, we need to protect the supply room! Diamond and Spade are obviously here to steal from us!" 

"I'll check it later. Send a few guards down there, I have business to do first." 

Natsu held his breath as they walked by, listening to their conversation. As soon as they were gone, he ran out of the curtain and down the hall. _There's not enough time! They're already catching on!_

Cheshire stopped in his tracks and jumped up to open a door with his paw. "Here's the storage room! Grab all you can and let's get out of here!" 

"Right!" The pinkette rushed in, snatching sacks of food or whatever he can find. He couldn't carry enough to feed two kingdoms, but something was better than nothing. 

"Who's in there!" A voice shouted, coming from the entrance of the storage room.

Natsu ducked, squatting low to the ground. He felt his heart pounding as he heard the footsteps come closer. _Think, Natsu! Think! Do something! I can't let them down like this if I get caught!_ As he heard the stranger stop next to the corner he was hiding in, the pinkette quickly pushed a sack of flour on top of the male.

The guard gasped in shock and tumbled down with the heavy sack pinning him to the ground, making him unconscious.

"Whoa, good thinking." Cheshire said, smiling at Natsu.

"Thanks." The pink-haired male smiled back. He didn't know what he was thinking, but it worked.

"Watch out!" The purple cat shouted out of the blue, as a sickle came hurdling towards them, spiraling like a ninja star. He shoved Natsu out of the way, the end of his tail getting caught by the sickle as it pinned him to the wall. He hissed as he tried to pull the sharp blade out, but it dug deep into his tail and into the stone wall. 

"I didn't expect that you'd betray me, Cheshire." A dark-haired male in green clover-patterned clothing said in a cold tone. His menacing eyes then softened as he saw the pinkette staring at him, terrified to the bone. "What in Wonderland....? H-Heart...?"

 

 

 

 

 


	8. The Thawed Clover

_Wonderland. Many years ago..._

The green-clover king laid nestled in his bed, remaining to be dormant in his chambers. Hatred coursed through his veins. His hatred of Diamond's Kingdom... His hatred of the new King of Hearts.

Clubs still felt humiliated from giving up so easily. He hated Ace Heart. He hated how he felt submissive to the pink-haired male. He had no sword... No threats... Just wise, simple words... Simple words that made him feel so defenseless...

_Stares pierce skin harder than swords..._

The words rang in his ear. He groaned in annoyance and covered his face with a pillow. "Just get out of my head..." He said. "Just get out..."

There was no clear reason on why Clubs thought about Heart so much, he never cared for the previous King of Hearts... But this one took his interest. Could it be that he was young? His innocent face? His captivating stare?

He bit his lip, trying to think of something else besides the red-heart ace. His kingdom needed him. He couldn't just lock himself in his room his entire life.

"Clubs! Come out! You need to eat you know!" His blue-haired servant, Juvia, shouted as she knocked on the door loudly.

The dark-haired king remained in bed, not caring as his servant let herself in. "Ay me...... I swear at thou sun, moon, stars, sky......No longer will I be defeated by piteous words..."

"Oh, stop sulking..." Juvia scolded as she placed a tray of food on her master's bed. "You can't be upset from defeat forever."

"Tis' I shall if I be mocked by my fellow subjects for being a flower of a man..."

The blue-haired female blinked. "Clubs, stop rehearsing for a play... And no, none of your subjects will make fun of you for surrendering! We all know that you had to do it!"

"Ay me..." He groaned again, rolling on his side.

Juvia sighed, leaving him alone with his breakfast. "Alright, keep sulking... But just to let you know, Ace Heart is waiting in to throne room for you. It seems he has something important to say."

Clubs sprung up from his bed, slipping on his attire. "Well, why didn't you say so?! I'll have to restrain myself from strangling the peacemaker's neck!"

"Please do." Juvia said as she left the room, parting to do other things. 

Clubs walked out of his dark room, squinting his eyes as the bright sun filled the halls with gold rays. _What does Heart want at a time like this anyways... It's still morning..._ Pacing down the hall, he made his way to the pink-haired ace.

Heart was standing in the throne room, looking around. His small defined figure recognizable from all kings. No muscles. No height. He didn't look like a strong king at all... but Clubs was warned by his subjects that he was wise and a great tactician. After all, he has already witnessed his cunning words...

"Oh, hello, King Clubs." The pinkette greeted with a smile, just noticing that he has arrived. "I have the answer to stop all feuding between Diamond and your kingdom!" 

 _Diamond..._ The dark-haired male cringed at the name. "If this has to do with Diamond, then why is he not in your presence?" He spat coldly.

"Clubs, you're the one I need to see to fix this problem." Heart said in a calm tone, obviously not wanting to anger the green-clover king. A fight was never on his mind.

"Are you stating that I am the problem?!" Clubs snapped, shouting in the pinkette's face as he pinned him to the wall.

Heart stared into his blue-green eyes, his emotions not showing. "Yes. It's true. You are the problem, and I want to fix it... I want to help you."

The dark-haired king's anger dissipated, turning into curiosity. "And why are you so keen to help me? What have I ever done to help you?"

"Everything." The pink-haired ace said, cupping the older king's hands. "You've fed my kingdom for many years before I was born... You're Wonderland's supplier. You're the reason why everyone is alive. I want to help you because that's the one thing I can do to thank you for all that you have done... I'm grateful, Clubs."

Clubs blushed, taking a step back and removing his hands from Heart's gentle grip. "No one has ever said that to me...Only greedy...hostile... unbalanced... I was never thought to be generous."

"But you are!" Heart protested. "Your kingdom works day and night to feed all of Wonderland! Of course, you'll grow mad once and awhile. We all do..."

Clubs nodded, a smile forming on his face. "I suppose..."

The pinkette smiled back, a spark of happiness in his eyes. "Say, this is the first time I've seen you smile... You should smile more often."

"I should, shouldn't I?" His smile grew. "Now, what is your plan to stop the feuding?"

"We'll start to grow Shamrock trees in Diamond's Kingdom... The other kingdoms as well... The famine will be over. All of Wonderland will be fed." 

 

 

 

 


	9. Things Forgotten

Natsu stared into the dark-haired male's blue-green eyes. For some odd feeling he felt happy to see him, but he didn't know why. Did he have some kind of connection with him before he forgot everything.

"H-Heart... It's me, Clubs..." The green-clover king said with a smile, tears streaming down his eyes. "I... I thought I'd never see you again!" He came in closer and kissed the pinkette.

Shocked, Natsu pushed him away, breaking the kiss. "W-What the hell?!" He took several steps back, his eyes still glued to the older male's stare.

Clubs stared back, his eyes full of confusion and worry. "Why..? Is there something wrong? Did you forget who I am?" 

Natsu didn't answer and quickly pulled the sickle out of Cheshire's tail, running off with the purple cat in his arms. I _don't want to know why he kissed me! I-I don't want to remember why!_

* * *

 

Back to back, Diamond and Spade fought together against Club's guards. The two of them slashed through the crowd of green like a tornado, striking each enemy with their swords. 

Both their armies have been fighting, and with Club's men outnumbered, they won. 

Diamond grunted as he knocked the last man's head with the handle of his sword, wiping him out. "That's all of them. Clubs is finished!"

Spade nodded and sheathed his sword. "Natsu isn't back... And I haven't seen Clubs... Do you think...?"

"That the two met? Maybe..." The blonde king sheathed his sword as well, checking his surroundings for the pinkette.

Natsu ran out with the purple bundle of fur in his arms, panting and sweating from running. Clubs ran out right behind. "Diamond! Spade!"

"Natsu!" The two males shouted as they ran over to him.

"Heart!" Clubs also shouted, catching up to him, panting.

"Clubs?!" Diamond and Spade shouted again.

"You two?!" Clubs shouted again too, staring at the two.

"Cheshire!" The purple cat mewed in amusement, getting a few stares.

Clubs rolled his eyes and glared at all of them. "What is the meaning of this? And why is Heart here?!"

Diamond glared back, already pissed off by seeing the dark-haired male. "His name is Natsu..."

The green-clover king scoffed. "That's bullshit! He's Heart, and I know it! Don't take me for a fool!"

"He doesn't remember anything!" The blonde king protested.

Natsu stood between the two, keeping them from tearing each other apart. "Stop! How can anyone explain properly when you two are fighting?!"

The two kings glanced at Natsu, then at each other, then at the ground. He was right... Everyone needed to calm down. 

"We'll take this inside then?" Clubs asked, waiting for either of the three rulers to respond. 

"Gladly." Spade answered, following the dark-haired male as he led them into his castle. They all settled down in the throne room to talk.

"So, Heart-I mean Natsu forgot everything?" Clubs tilted his head, hoping it wasn't true.

"Yes, everything." Diamond answered bluntly as he tried to hide his hostility towards the green-clover king. "But that doesn't matter. We've found him... I'm grateful for that..." 

Clubs nodded, still feeling confused about the current situation. "Now... why is it that you have attacked me? Is it for the food?"

"Yes." Spade replied this time. "I haven't gotten my ration in months... My kingdom is starving, and so is Diamond's... as usual..." 

"Well, good." The dark-haired king spat as he cursed under his breath. "You don't deserve my bounty... The only kingdom I supply besides myself is the Kingdom of Hearts..."

"Greedy bastard..." Diamond grumbled as he refrained himself from striking Clubs. "Just because Heart ruled that kingdom once doesn't mean it's the same... You know that..."

Natsu hugged Cheshire tighter, trying to get comfortable. This was the first time he has ever heard about his own kingdom. What was it like? What did he leave? Who ruled it? "Since I wasn't here for many years... Who looked over my kingdom while I was gone...?"

Spade narrowed his eyes. He felt uneasy to mention the topic. "The Queen of Hearts... Our sister... Erza..."

 

 

 

 


	10. Shamrock Trees

_Wonderland. Many years ago..._

"Be careful." Clubs warned as his men uprooted the glowing tree. "Shamrocks trees will die once they're uprooted from my kingdom's soil, so we'll need to get it into Diamond's before is withers away."

Heart sighed, watching Club's men strap the tree onto a wagon. "That's what I feared... Hopefully, this will work." 

"If it does, then like you said, the famine will be over." The dark-haired male smiled and lead his men towards Diamond's kingdom. "I wonder why none of the previous kings thought of doing this before?"

"Maybe because it doesn't work..." The red-heart ace frowned, doubting himself. "Shamrock trees only grow in your kingdom... So how could it possibly survive in Diamond's?" 

"You have a point, but it wouldn't hurt to try. We could all learn something from this." Clubs walked beside the pinkette and kissed his cheek, chuckling at his response.

Heart gasped and stepped to the side, holding his cheek. A splash of pink covered his face. "W-What in Wonderland..?! W-Why'd you do that?! I can have you arrested for assaulting a leader!"

Clubs laughed and kissed his cheek again, earning a squeak from the flustered ace. "I'll kiss your cheek as many times as I want. I never thought your reaction would be this cute!"

The green servants snickered a bit as they watched the two leaders interact with one another. They were obviously flirting.

Heart wiped his pink cheek and grumbled in annoyance. "Idiot..." He turned away from the green-clover king and walked on the other side of the wagon.

Clubs smiled and peered over the wagon. _He's so cute... He's shy too... Hehe._

The pink-haired ace glared at him and tried to hide behind the wagon, walking at the same pace as it rolled along the forest path. 

Heart was very annoyed with the older king's behavior. This was a serious a task, and Clubs was treating him as if he were a school-girl playing hard-to-get. _Oh, Wonderland... Save me..._ He had to stay focused. He was doing this for Clubs _and_ Diamond, not just Clubs alone.

Turning his head, Heart yelped as he saw the dark-haired male walking next to him once again. "Guts! Don't scare me like that! Have you no sense?!"

Clubs chortled and nipped his cheek again. "In all of Wonderland, I've never met someone that makes me feels so giddy..." 

The pinkette blushed and punched the side of his shoulder. "Remember the task at hand, Clubs! I don't want to hear your stupid bickering!"

"Will you do me the honor in marrying me, Ace Heart?"

"When cats smile is the day I'll marry you..." Heart spat as he rolled his eyes.

"When cats smile, eh? Then I'll keep that in mind..." The dark-haired male grinned placing his hand on his chin. "The day may never come."

"Good. Besides, I don't wish to marry you... My heart lies with no one..." Heart said coldly, walking to the other side of the wagon once again.

* * *

 

Diamond waited at the edge of his territory. Heart has sent him a letter that they were attempting to plant a shamrock tree on his grounds. It was a brilliant idea, so he wanted to see if it would actually work. A few of his men waited with him. 

"Diamond!" Heart called as he waved to the blonde male. "It's good to see that you're in great health, Diamond. Is your kingdom eating well."

The blue-diamond king bowed his head slightly and smiled. "Yes. Everyone is doing well, Heart... A few hungry bellies, but nothing more." He turned to look at Clubs and greeted him with a straight face. "I bet your kingdom is well fed... Like always..."

Clubs rolled his eyes and ordered his men to start planting the shamrock tree. "If this works, there will be no need for you to come crawling on your knees for food..."

Diamond cursed under his breath, about to attack the dark-haired male for what he said. Although, he had to refrain himself once he caught Heart's onyx stare.

"Don't you dare start a fight in my presence..." The pink-haired ace warned. He heard Clubs laugh and spat at him too. "That includes you too, Clubs. Stop provoking him."

Clubs did as he was told. No one would dare to defy the orders of a peacemaker... Although, the green-clover king did it once... He shot an icy glare at the blonde male, and Diamond glared back. There was almost a spark of lightning surging between them. 

"King Clubs! The shamrock tree! It's dying!" informed one of the green servants.

"What?" 

The three leaders gathered around the glowing tree, watching its once bright light fade away. Its branches curled and shriveled up, until the remains of the tree withered and blew away into dust.

Heart looked down, and the two kings watched him pity himself. They both backed away as the pink-haired male started crying. 

Salty tears stung his face and the red-heart ace choked as he tried to not cry in front of the older leaders. "I-I've failed... I'm sorry...."

Clubs and Diamond looked at each other and sighed. "It's okay, Heart." The two said in unison. 


	11. The Path to the Red Kingdom Part 1

"Queen of Hearts? What? She's our sister?" Natsu blinked, trying to let it sink into his brain.

"Half-sister, actually." Spade said as he guided his brother out of Club's castle, Diamond following along. "She's our eldest sibling. King Heart was suppose to choose her as the next leader, but... He chose Ace instead."

"He chose you." Diamond added in. "And it was a wise decision. Erza is riddled with envy... All she wants is power, but none of her subjects approve of her ways... It's... It's horrible... She beheads them if they don't listen... So many people... so many innocent people died at her hands..." His body began to shake as he went on, describing the cruel queen.

"Easy now, Diamond." The black-haired male soothed the blonde. "Her rule will be over... Heart is back remember?"

Diamond eased himself and glanced at Natsu. "Yes... We have Heart back physically, but not mentally. Do you remember anything from your past yet, Natsu?"

The pinkette nodded looking down at the purple cat in his arms. "I don't know why, but I'm getting bits and pieces of my memory from Cheshire."

"Bits and pieces?" Spade tilted his head. "Like what?"

"Well, I can remember two girls with white hair. Servants I guess... I seemed to be friends with them back then... And I also remember that many people treated me nicely." Natsu winced, trying to remember more.

"Anything else?"

"I stopped a few wars... Most of them between Diamond and Clubs I guess... Then there's this blonde girl with a large hat that keeps popping in my mind... Also a red-haired woman with menacing eyes...."

The last two people Natsu described brought Diamond's attention. "The blonde girl is Hatter. Her real name is Lucy, but she's called Hatter now because she became the new Bearer of the Hat. The red-haired woman is Erza."

"Stop talking. I'm trying to sleep." Cheshire mewed as he rolled over in the pinkette's arms, rubbing his eye with a paw.

"Sorry, Cheshire, for interrupting your beauty sleep..." Diamond spat as he glared at the purple cat. "How about you stop making Natsu lug you around and walk on your own damn feet."

Cheshire hissed and poofed between Diamond and Natsu, shifting back to his human form. "Is this better, your lowness?"

The blue-diamond king glared at the cat-like male. He had enough of his stupid voice. "Put a sock in it, fleabag, or I'll throw you down a rabbit hole!"

"I'd like to see you try." The red-haired male mewed as he curled his purple ears back.

"Don't fight you two," scolded Spade. "I've dismissed our armies back to their homes. Now, let's bring Natsu back to his home-kingdom. It's been long enough..."

* * *

 

The sun has already left the darkening sky as the three leaders walked through Club's forest. Only the glow of the shamrock trees lit their path.

Natsu grew drowsy with each step, trying to keep up with Diamond's pace. _We've been traveling all day... To Clubs Kingdom and now mine... I don't think I can walk any further..._ He yawned and tipped forward, nearly falling onto the ground as he caught his balance.

"Hm? Natsu, are you okay?" Diamond asked as he looked back at the pinkette.

"I'm fine... Just... tired..." He yawned again and covered his mouth, suddenly yelping as the blonde male swept him off his feet."Ah?!"

Diamond smiled at the pinkette and kept walking, carrying him bridal-style. "I'll carry you, so you don't fall again, okay?" He said casually, not finding the situation weird at all.

Natsu blushed a bright red and tried not to protest. _I didn't really fall..._ He peered up at the older male, hoping that he didn't notice his blushing face as he spoke. "I can walk on my own... You don't have to do this..."

"Oh, but I want to. It's the least I can do for all the things that you've done as Heart." The blue-diamond king said, his voice sounding very kind and grateful. "You're pretty light too, Natsu, so it isn't a big deal. Really, Cheshire should be the one to carry you since you've been carrying him all day." He glanced at the red-haired male, still smiling.

Cheshire didn't say anything, but let out a hiss in response.

Spade laughed and stopped walking. "We can set up camp. It's been a long day after all. We should all get some rest."

"Agreed." Diamond said as he gently let Natsu down on his feet. "Now you can rest properly, Heart."

"Eh?" Natsu stared at him and coughed. "It's Natsu..."

The blonde king blinked and his face turned red in embarrassment. "I-I'm so sorry, Natsu! I was- I uh- I wasn't thinking! It just slipped out!"

The pinkette was silent for a minute and smiled. "It's okay, Diamond... I guess I should be called Heart... It is my name after all..." He nodded as he thought about it more in depth. "Alright. I'm Ace Heart. Just call me Heart."

Diamond sighed in relief and smiled back. "It's great to have you back... Heart."

 


	12. Unfortunate Riches

_Wonderland. Many years ago..._

"Diamonds, 57 portions... Sapphire, 64 portions... Silver, 77 portions....... Gold, 2 portions..." Diamond recorded all the items on his list with a deep sigh. "Only 2 portions..? Clubs isn't going to give my kingdom their ration when I can only offer 2 portions. Greedy bastard... He just doesn't understand that were dry on gold. Why does he need gold? It's just a shiny piece of metal. I would trade all the gold in the world for food... I can't watch my subjects starve any longer..." Rubbing his head in pain he placed his clipboard on a rock.

He sighed again, his loud sound of exhaustion echoing throughout the musky mine shafts. This was a daily thing for him. Work, organize, work again, order miners around, work, get dirty, work once more... All this just to feed his kingdom... It's been so long since their last ration. He even stopped eating for himself, hoping that his small meals could fill up some empty bellies.

Diamond was never like the other kings. He never took time for himself. He used his time to support his kingdom... To support his people. Never did he sit in his throne to bask in his power. Honestly, he felt powerless.

The blonde male sat down in the gravel, wiping a soot stain from his cheek. His right cheek smeared with black. _Gold, silver, sapphire, diamonds... No riches are riches. Just trash. Garbage. Riches can't fill stomachs... The other kingdoms don't understand... I'm not the greedy one... I'm not! Take all my garbage! See if I care! I will starve, just feed my people!_

Diamond grunted and tried to contain his anger. _I can't sit here and complain... It's helping no one..._ Standing up, he snatched his pickax and drove it into the wall. _Black. Black. Black. Black! Black! More black! No single speck of gold to please that devil in green clothing!_

"King Diamond!" One of his miners shouted, running down the hallway. Their eyes were filled with fear. "The 13th level! T-there was a huge explosion! I think a bomb! I-I don't know!"

Diamond dropped his pickax and tried to calm the shaken miner. "Slow down... Slow down... Now what happened?"

The miner gulped, sweat rolling down his soot-covered face. "I was just mining for gold like you asked, then boom! The mine shaft started to collapse! People were screaming, yelling to run away! then I saw... I saw... I saw a monster! It was snatching workers one by one, and they were never seen again!" 

The blonde king remained calm and nodded. "Okay. Stop all mining on all 13 levels... We can't risk other's lives." _I can't risk others lives..._ "I'll contact Heart for help. My men are too weak from malnutrition to fight off whatever's down there..."

* * *

 

"Diamond! I got your message from Hatter! I tried to get here as fast as I can!" Heart panted out as he met the blue-diamond king at the mine shaft entrance. "Are you okay? You're covered in soot..."

The blonde male smiled at the sight of the pink-haired ace and bowed his head slightly. "I'm fine... I was just working."

"You work in the mines...?" The pinkette blinked. "Nevermind... Here, I'll clean your face!" He pulled out a handkerchief and gently rubbed the soot off.

Diamond let him brush the soft fabric against his cheek and stared into his onyx eyes. "It's just a smudge... I'll live." 

Heart's face flashed red as he noticed how close he was to the older king. "S-Sorry!" 

Diamond laughed softly, his kind smile still plastered on his face. "It's nothing to be sorry about, Heart... Now, shall we go?"

"Down the shafts? Just us?" Heart peered behind himself at the small group of men he brought. "Are my men coming along as well?"

"No... I've sent a group down, but they never came back. I don't want the same to happen to yours." The blonde king said, walking into the mine shaft. "Come on, Heart. Let's get this done." 

"Right!" The pinkette walked beside him, disappearing into the darkness of the mines. "I'm not much of a fighter, but I'll do my best to protect you, Diamond!" 

Diamond smiled and kissed the red-heart ace's forehead in deep respect. "And I'll do the same, Heart. Whatever is down there, we'll face it together."


	13. The Path to the Red Kingdom Part 2

Heart slept peacefully in the tent, hugging the purple cat as he snuggled beside his brother. He shared the tent with Spade and Diamond. His brother insisted that he'd sleep between him and Diamond, just to make sure _things_ didn't happen between them... But the two didn't know that was his real reason. 

The pinkette yawned as he was the first one to wake up. A soft light filtered through the thin sheets of the tent, making him wince. _Hm? Morning already...?_ He crawled out of the tent, leaving the still sleeping Cheshire in a blanket. 

Diamond noticed the pink-haired ace leave and crawled out too. "Good morning, Heart." He greeted with a smile. "Are you ready to move on?"

"Morning, Diamond." Heart yawned. "I'm still a bit sleepy, but I can walk it off." He smacked his lips together, trying to get the morning taste out of his mouth. "I can't remember the last time I took a bath... Actually, I don't think I ever bathed since I got here."

"We can wash up at the Red River." Spade said as he just slipped out of the tent, looking as drowsy as his younger brother. "A bath will do us good." 

"I hate water!" hissed Cheshire as he got out behind the black-haired male. "You can all take a swim, but not me!"

"No one is making you..." Diamond rolled his eyes and started to pack up the tent. 

"We'll need to cross the river anyways. Heart's Kingdom is on the other side." Spade picked up the cat in a gentle manner and handed him to the pinkette. "Here, Heart. He's your responsibility. You are his candidate after all." 

"I still don't understand this candidate thing..." muttered Heart as he choked the purple cat with a squeeze as he instinctively hugged him. 

"It doesn't matter. Let's get going already." The blue-diamond king said, throwing the packed-up tent over his shoulder. 

The four of them resumed to their journey towards Heart's Kingdom, soon reaching the end of Club's territory. A deep red river cut through the land, dividing the two territories. It's rushing waters as dark as blood itself.

"What...? We're bathing in that?" Heart blinked, pointing at the dark river. "That's like bathing in blood..." 

"It may look red, but the water is actually clear." stated Spade, scooping up a cup of water in his hands. "See?" 

The water was clear as a mirror. Heart could almost see his reflection in it. "Wow... That's odd..." He looked up and saw Diamond stripping his clothes off already. His face turned red and he quickly covered his face. "A warning would of been nice!" 

Diamond laughed and kicked his boxers off. "We're all guys here!" He jumped into the river, splashing water onto the two brothers. He shivered, remembering that it was still winter. "J-Jump in... the water is j-just fine!" 

Spade and Heart glared at him, unamused. Their black and red-colored clothing drenched in the river water. Cheshire also spat into a raging hiss as his purple pelt became soaked. 

Heart sighed and dropped Cheshire onto the ground, stripping his wet clothes off. He jumped in, splashing the blonde male this time. 

"Gah!" Diamond yelped and glared at the pinkette, but it didn't take long for him to smile and laugh. "Alright! Alright. I deserved that. Hehe..."

Heart laughed too and smacked the water with his hands, splashing the blonde male again. "Haha! Damn straight you did!"  

Spade sat beside Cheshire at the bank of the river with his feet dipped in. He smiled as he watched his younger brother swim in the river with Diamond. It reminded him of the old days when they were just kids. 

"I _really_ hate water..." mewed Cheshire as he licked his pelt clean. 

* * *

 

Fully-clothed and cleaned, the three leaders crossed over the river on a fallen tree. They were finally on Heart's home-land. 

"I don't remember this place, but I do feel at home." Heart said as he examined his surroundings.

There were no more shamrock trees. Just tall oaks with crisp red and orange leaves covered in fair white snow. Flowers also grew, jutting out from the snowy ground. They were still healthy and bright with color. 

"Ace Heart? Is that Ace Heart?"

The pinkette spun around, hearing an unfamiliar voice. "Who's there..?"

"Down here! Down here! Look down, Ace!"

Heart glanced down at the small bed of flowers. He didn't notice it at first, but the flowers had faces! And they talked! 

"It's so great to see you, Ace Heart! We all thought you were dead!" squeaked one of the flowers.

"Um... Well, I'm not." Heart replied, thinking it was weird that he was talking to flowers.

"Where did you go?"

"Yeah, where did you go?"

"Tell us! Tell us!"

"Some other time, ladies." Diamond said, making all the flowers stop asking questions. "Heart has returned to take back his kingdom. Erza's rule is over."  


	14. The Amethyst's Call

_Wonderland. Many years ago..._

The 13th level... The mine shaft's elevator doors slowly opened as Diamond and Heart walked out. Unsheathing their swords, the two stayed closely together. Neither one of them wanted the other to die.

"You can still go back if you wish..." Diamond whispered, starting to regret for bringing the pinkette.

"Thanks for the offer, but I'm not leaving you." Heart whispered back, playfully nudging the blonde male as he got closer. "I don't want to leave you, Diamond..."

Diamond blushed and gripped the handle of his sword. "I don't want to leave you either... but I also don't want you to get hurt."

"Guts! I'll be fine. Besides, we both agreed to protect each other!" The pink-haired ace snapped, quickly shutting up as the ground shook.

"Hush, Heart... It's best we stop talking now... It already knows we're here..." 

Heart nodded and held up his slender sword, ready to attack. Even without much experience, he felt like he could fight anything with Diamond on his side. 

The older king was an excellent swordsman, and his determination was a force to be reckoned with. His hard-working spirit was something Heart has always admired. 

Their backs were pressed together as they waited for the danger to come towards them. Pebbles rattled on the ground as the tunnel shook. A low wail echoed through the darkness. Diamond raised his sword as he heard the creature shifting closer. Out of the shadows, squeaked a mouse. 

"Oh it's just a mouse..." The blonde king muttered as he dropped his guard. "I almost thought it was a-"

Heart gasped as the mouse puffed into smoke, being replaced by a large, scaly dragon. "Shape-shifter!" He shouted, blocking it's claws with the clash of his sword as it tried to lash out on the blue-diamond king. 

Diamond stared in shock and snapped out of it as he swiftly dodged it's other claw. "Dragons! It always has to be dragons!" He swung his sword, cutting across its right eye as it tried to snap at him. 

The scaly beast roared in agony, shifting into nothing but a mist.

"We need to follow it!" Heart shouted, running after the mist as it whipped through the tunnels.

Diamond followed behind him, panting with his sword still in hand. "Wait, Heart! We don't know what it'll do!" 

"That's why we're following it!" The pinkette snapped, panting as well. 

The mist swirled around a gem stuck into the rocky walls, seeping inside until it glowed purple. It shined brilliantly, shining brighter than any jewel in the mine shafts.

Diamond stopped by the purple gem with Heart, examining it's uniqueness. "An amethyst? We never found amethysts before..." He dug his fingers into the rocky earth and pulled out the jewel. "Why did the shape-shifter decide to go in here?" 

Heart stared at the amethyst, seeing inscriptions appear on it. "Um... Diamond..."

The blonde king read the inscriptions aloud as they were being scratched on by some strange magic. "Heed my call... with a gesture of kindness... And I will stop hunting... Free me..." He raised an eyebrow. "What in Wonderland...?"

The pink-haired ace gasped as he understood the situation. "It's a relic! A cursed one actually. I think when one of your miners found it, they've awoken the beast from it's slumber. That amethyst is the creature that has been terrorizing your mines! The dragon was only it's ghostly figure. There wasn't any blood when you scratched its eye remember?" 

"So what do we do? What does it mean by a gesture of kindness? And if we do free it, will it kill us? It shape-shifts after all..."

"We'll protect each other... Just like you said." Heart smiled warmly and carefully took the amethyst out of the blonde male's hands. "A gesture of kindness must be referring to a kiss. 

Diamond coughed a bit and blushed. "Well, uh..."

"Oh, not you, silly." The pinkette laughed and pecked his lips on the purple gem. There was a _poof_ as a purple cloud surrounded him.

Once the mist disappeared, Diamond peered down and saw a purple cat curled up in Heart's arms. "What?"


	15. White as Uncertainty

"Excuse me, ladies, but do you know the best way to Heart's Kingdom?" Spade asked the bed of flowers as he kneeled down to their height. 

"Ah, yes. I've heard that there were some white roses on the north end of the kingdom." replied one of the flowers, pointing it's pedal down the dirt path. "Just go straight forward. Luckily, we're already on the north side."

Spade nodded and got back up. "Thank you. Come on you two." He called as he continued to walk to their destination.

Heart followed and raced to his brother's side. "White roses? What does white roses have to do with this?"

"It's a security system." The black-haired male explained. "Rose-hedges surround the Kingdom of Hearts. The roses naturally grow in the color white, but the Queen ordered them to be painted red with sheep's blood. When the roses are red, they all form a magical barrier around the kingdom. No one can come out, and no one can come in without the Queen's permission."

"That's why we're looking for white roses." Diamond added in. "The roses loose their color over time, so they turn white again, leaving holes in the barrier." 

"I see..." Heart hummed and stared up at the cloudy sky. "It's been bugging me... What am I going to do once I get my throne back? I don't remember how to rule a kingdom..."

"Do what you think is right as a leader... There's no rule book." Spade stated bluntly as he smiled. "If you ever need help, you can always ask us."

The pinkette smiled at the two, but it quickly faded as he looked down. "Thanks, guys... But honestly... I want to go back home..."

Diamond frowned and stared at the pink-haired ace. "This is your home, Heart... The other home you're talking about is just a false memory."

"But it's what I'm use to!" Heart snapped. "I'm not a strong leader like you two! I don't know how to fight! I don't know how to organize armies! I don't know how to lead an entire kingdom! I can't do this!"

"Try..." Diamond huffed out as he gripped onto the pinkette's shoulders, stopping him from walking ahead. He stared into his onyx eyes, making sure he will listen to what he had to say. "You're the smartest person I know. You've stopped wars without lifting a finger. You barley fight with a sword because you fight with your words. Your entire kingdom loves you. All of Wonderland loves you! I love you, Heart, because you're the kind of person that doesn't give up without a fight! So try!"

Heart stared back into his blue eyes, noticing a diamond-shaped birthmark engraved into his right eye. He blushed and couldn't look away. "W-What's that in your eye?" He stuttered, trying to change the topic.

"It's the Mark of the Suit. I was born with it. It proves that I am worthy of ruling my kingdom... And you have one as well, Heart." Diamond said as he lightly touched his finger against the heart-shaped birthmark on the pinkette's cheek. 

Heart gasped and pushed the blonde male away, hiding his left cheek. He didn't know they were able to see it. Back at school, he used to cover it up with make-up because people usually made fun of it. _It must of washed off at the river..._

"Sorry to destroy the mood, but can you stop talking? Trying to sleep here..." Cheshire mewed as he rubbed his eye with a paw. 

"You're always sleeping, fleabag!" Diamond shouted, throwing the purple cat off of Heart's shoulder. A screech was heard from the distance as the feline landed in some thorn bushes....... Wait, thorn bushes?

Heart ran over and plucked Cheshire from the prickly rose bush. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah yeah... I'm fine..." Cheshire hissed, glaring at Diamond as he pulled out a thorn from his purple ear. 

Spade ran over as well and gasped as he noticed a bright color in the rose bush. "Look! White roses!"


	16. When Cats Smile

_Wonderland._ _Many_ _years_ _ago..._

"I can't believe the so called _monster_ that's been scaring the miners away is a mere kitten..." Diamond mumbled as he watched Heart play with the purple cat.

Heart slid a string across the marble floor and smiled as the kitten playfully batted it with a paw. "I find it hard to believe as well. He hasn't shifted into anything since we got here." 

"Maybe it's waiting for the right time to strike..." The blonde male sighed and sat down in his throne. "We should kill it before it has the chance."

"We'll do nothing of the sort!" snapped Heart, hugging the kitten protectively. "He's innocent. Why would you want to hurt a cute little kitten like this?" 

"Heart, that cute little kitten use to be a dragon that nearly killed me..."

The pinkette rolled his eyes and slid his thumb over the large scar that ran over the kitten's left eye. "About that... You left a huge scar on the poor things face..." He sighed and kissed it's forehead.

Diamond's eye twitched. "It was a DRAGON, what was I suppose to do? Spare it; because it could possibly be a cute kitten?!"

"You didn't have to go for his eye..." Heart muttered and smoothed out the fur on the purple cat's back. "How about we give him a name?"

"Yeah, we'll name him Piece of Shit..."

"Diamond!"

"I was joking!"

Heart glared at him and glanced back at the kitten. "I'll name him Cheshire."

"Why Cheshire?" The blonde king asked as he crossed his arms. "Cheshire as in _cheerful_?" 

The red-heart ace nodded. "Mhm! He's always smiling. See?" He raised the purple cat up, a wide grin spread across its face.

Diamond stared at it in shock and narrowed his eyes. "That's... creepy..."

"Really? I think it's cute!" Heart smiled back at the kitten and _booped_ its nose. "You're so cute~"

Cheshire mewed and licked the pinkette's finger cutely. 

Diamond tried to refrain from fawning over the cat as well, and stood up. "Do you want to stay here for the night? There's plenty of room in my castle."

The pink-haired ace yawned and nodded. "Why thank you. It is rather late."

"Alright. My servants will get a room ready right away." 

* * *

 

The morning sun shined in Heart's face as he slowly opened his eyes. He smiled and rolled over, expecting to see the purple cat curled up next to him, but instead something else was... or someone...

"AH?!" Heart sprung up from the bed as he saw a red-haired male lying next to him. "Who the hell are you?!" He shouted, quickly snatching his sword next to the nightstand.

The red-haired male sat up in the bed and yawned. "It's me, Cheshire." He mewed tiredly, a pair of purple ears flattening against his head. 

"What? Cheshire?" The pinkette dropped his sword and stared at him in shock. "Why did you shift into a human at a time like this?"

"Because I felt like it." Cheshire grinned and floated off the bed. "Did my candidate sleep well?"

"Candidate?" Heart tilted his head, not understanding the term.

"You're my candidate, which means I chose you to share my powers with. You seemed like a pretty nice guy, so why not?" The cat-like male shrugged and landed next to the pinkette. 

"Share your powers? Like shape-shifting powers?" 

"Not just that, but many other things... It's hard to explain, but you'll learn as we go." Cheshire circled around the ace, wrapping his tail around him. "I can make you the most powerful ruler in Wonderland~" He mewed, his grin getting wider. 

Heart sighed and untangled himself from the purple tail. "Sorry, but I'm not interested... I don't need power. I've seen what it does to people... And the results are always negative."

"Oh, I see... Well... If you don't need power, then you won't be needing this right?" The cat-like male held up a crystallized card, which the pinkette recognized easily. It was his card... The Ace of Hearts...

Heart's eyes widened in shock and he reached out to grab it, but the red-haired male was too tall. "Are you mad?!! Give that back!!"

Cheshire grinned devilishly and chuckled. "Why are you so worried? It's not like I can rip your card in half, or should I say your _soul_? It's crystallized, which makes you immortal. Immortality is power... And you said it yourself that you don't need power." 

"Okay, you're right! I don't need immortality, but I need my card!" Heart spat as he still tried to reach for it. 

"Sit!" The red-haired male shouted with the card pressed against his lips.

The pink-haired ace was forced to obey as his body moved on it's own, falling down to his knees and sitting on the ground. He looked down, humiliated. _Dammit..._

Cheshire purred in amusement and swished his tail side-to-side. "So this is why you want your card back so badly... You don't want me to _control_ you... Hehe... I'm going to make you my candidate if you like it or not..." 


	17. Blood-Painted Roses

"What do you mean Ace Heart is back?!" The red-haired queen yelled, springing up from her throne. All her servants went silent as she lost her temper. 

The one servant that has told her of the news stood before her, shaking in fear. "Well-um... I-I heard on my way here that Ace is back..." He stuttered.

Erza narrowed her eyes and stared at him menacingly. "What did you say...? Did you say _your way_? No! I'm the queen! It's always _my way_ , not _your way_!"

"I'm sorry, your highness!" The servant squeaked, bowing down on his hands and knees. 

The Red Queen sighed and tried to relax, sitting back down on her throne. "Off with his head..." She whispered to her guards as they swiftly dragged the servant away without saying a word. 

"W-Wait! No! Your highness, show some mercy please!" He begged, thrashing around as he was forced out of the throne room. 

Erza ignored his pathetic cries for help and called over another servant. "I need more paint for the roses, so his blood will do fine. I'll hold a public execution to show everyone who the true ruler is... Ace Heart or not, I'm the queen!"  

* * *

 

Diamond sliced through the white rose hedges with his sword, coming out the other side. He sheathed his sword as the others came out behind him. "Welcome back, Heart." He said with a smile as he showed the pinkette the red kingdom which was a mile away. 

Heart stared in awe as he could clearly see the tall piercing towers and red villages surrounding the mighty castle. "Wow... I use to rule _all_ of this...?"

"Yes... Every acre." Spade smiled and laughed a bit at his brother's astonishment. 

Cheshire pricked his ears and turned his attention to the checkered path. A blue cat with white rabbit ears hopped on the path, appearing to be in a rush. "Hey, look! It's the White Rabbit!" He mewed, pointing his purple tail at the bouncing ball of fur. 

"He seems to be in a rush like always..." Diamond pondered. "I wonder why... Hey!! Happy!!! Where are you going?" He called, dashing after the cat/rabbit along with Heart and Spade. 

Happy turned his head and glanced at the blonde king. "Oh, Diamond! I can't talk right now! I'm late! I'm late! I'm late! For a very important date! No time to say, Hello, Goodbye! I'm late! I'm late! I'm late!" He peered at his watch and hopped even faster.

"Late for what?!" Diamond heaved out as he tried to match his pace. 

"Execution! Execution! The queen wants me to announce the execution!" The White Rabbit panted and continued to hop away even faster. 

"Execution?!" The three gasped.

* * *

 

The people of the Red Kingdom gathered around the center of their village, forced to watch the public execution begin. The poor servant was chained in the center of the clearing for all to see his beheading. 

The sound of loud trumpets filled the air as Erza took a seat in her chair, which was a few feet away from the execution stand. Heart, Diamond, Spade, and Cheshire stood among the crowd as Happy cleared his throat to recite.

"Her Imperial Highness, Her Grace, Her Excellency, Her Royal Majesty, the Queen of Hearts!" Happy announced as the crowd remained silent.

"Ahem." A blue-haired male tapped the cat's shoulder as he sat down next to Erza.

The White Rabbit sighed. "...And the King..."

"Hooray!" A single person cheered. 

The Red Queen glared at her husband, Jellal, then glanced back at Happy. "Go on..."

The White Rabbit went on with the announcement as Heart whispered to Diamond. "We have to do something!"  

"I know!" The blonde king whispered back. "But we need a plan. We can't just run in there and save him."

The purple cat snickered and swished his tail. "And that's exactly what we're going to do! Heart is going to run in there and sword fight with the queen. He's going to make a big entrance!"

Diamond scoffed and rolled his eyes. "That's ridiculous, Cheshire. Besides, Heart doesn't remember how to sword fight."

Cheshire grinned widely. "He doesn't have to~"

The executioner sharpened his ax, getting ready to behead the servant. Erza watched with a smirk on her face, pleased by the rising tension. The villagers watched in terror as the ax was raised up high, about to end the poor servant's life. 

As the ax swung down, Heart quickly ran over and blocked the large blade with Diamond's sword. "Stop this right now!" He shouted.

The crowd stared in shock as their beloved ace knocked the ax out of the executioner's hands. A dull silence lasted for five seconds until the people cheered in joy.

"Ace Heart! The rumors were true! Ace Heart has returned! Our leader has returned!"

"Silence!" Erza shouted, unsheathing her sword as she gave the pinkette a cold stare. "How in Wonderland did you come back?! I thought you were dead!"

Heart gripped the handle of his sword, hiding the fact that he was struggling to carry it, since it was so heavy and over-sized. _Damn... How does Diamond carry this thing around on his back...???_

"Not going to answer me, huh? Do you think you can just walk in here and take away my kingdom? Well, think again! You have to kill me for it!" The Red Queen shouted in anger as she slashed her sword at him. 

Heart blocked her blow and swung at her as well, fighting back with the same expert-like swings. The truth was, he had no idea what he was doing... He wasn't even controlling his own body. 

"That was a great idea, Cheshire, but how did you get Heart's card?" Spade asked as he stood on the sidelines with Diamond and the purple cat.

Cheshire held the card near his lips and continued giving the pinkette commands. "It's a long story."

 

 

 


	18. The Jabberwocky

_Wonderland. Many years ago..._

Heart looked up at the cat-like male, still sitting on the ground. He was unable to get up until he was released from the order or given a new one. Although, he was still able to speak. "Diamond!" Was the first thing he tried to shout, attempting to call for help, but his voice suddenly felt clogged as he was unable to speak anymore.

"Be quiet." Cheshire whispered into the card, his order quickly being obeyed by the pinkette. "Good~ Using your body will be a lot easier now that I have your card~"

The pink-haired ace glared at him. His stare saying, _Don't fucking touch me._

Cheshire grinned and chortled a bit."Oh, worry not. I won't be doing anything vile to you. I just need to use your body as a vessel for my magic. You see, I'm only a cat, so I can't contain all this power to myself. It will be a bit painful for you, but you'll live~" He hummed a little tune as he circled around the ace. _"'Twas brilig, and the slithy toves~ Did gyre and gimble in the wabe~"_

The pinkette rolled his eyes as he couldn't do anything to help himself. _Singing? At a time like this? Oh, Wonderland... Save me. It's too early for this... I just woke up..._

_"All mimsy were the borogroves~ And the mome raths outgrabe~"_

The red-haired male continued to sing and Heart felt his breath on his neck. _"Beware the Jabberwock, my son~! The jaws that bite, the claws that catch-"_

"AHH!" Heart screeched in pain as Cheshire dug his fangs into his neck. He jerked his head as pain surged through him, feeling something foreign entering his blood stream. "W-W-What a-are y-you-?!" He managed to choke out as blood ran down his neck.

Cheshire stopped and licked his blood-stained lips. "I lied~" He chuckled, licking the dripping blood off of the pinkette's neck. "I'm not just a cat........ You gave me the name Cheshire, but back then... Back then people called me many things... Madness, illusion, insanity, monster... Nonsense..." He laughed at the last one.

Heart groaned and held his neck in pain. "Y-you're mad..." 

"Most everyone's mad here. I'm not all there myself." The red-haired male tapped his own head and poofed away. His insane laughter echoing throughout the room. "They call me the Jabberwocky, but I'll go by Cheshire... I am quite fond of the name~"

The pink-haired ace looked around for the purple cat, but his vision began to get blurry from all the blood loss. _No... I can't... go down...like this..._ Falling forward, he blacked out. 

 

* * *

 

"Heart, wake up! Hey! Heart!" 

Opening his eyes, the pinkette looked up at the familiar blonde, who bared a worried expression. "Hm?"

"Heart! Thank god! What happened? I heard you scream, so I came here as fast as I can. When I did, you were passed out on the floor..." Diamond asked as he helped the red-heart ace back up. 

Heart brushed his hand against his neck. There were no wounds or blood. "Che-.... Che-...."

"What? What is it? Come on, you can tell me..." 

He wasn't able to get the words out. They were lodged in his throat. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't tell the blonde king what happened. _Dammit! I can't say anything about what Cheshire did to me! My voice won't let me. It's probably an order he gave to my card... Damn cat... I can't even mention the card either... Guess it's no use..._

Heart sighed and put on a fake smile. "I fell off the bed. That's all. I must of landed on my head... Sorry for worrying you." He lied.

Diamond nodded and believed him. "Okay. If you say so... Will you be leaving already? Or do you want to stay for breakfast?"

"I'll stay." The pinkette replied, trying to find bite marks on his neck. " I'm not feeling like myself... So breakfast will do me good."

The blue-diamond king smiled and laughed a bit. "Come on then. My servants have already set up the table." 

Heart smiled back and followed him to the dining room. When they got there, he sat down in a chair and pulled a napkin over his lap. 

"By the way, where did Cheshire go?" Diamond asked as he sat down across from him. 

"I don't know..." Heart half lied. "Maybe he went out the window... You know cats, they always want to be independent."

"Hm... I guess so..." Diamond hummed as it got quiet, starting to sing a familiar tune, which made the pinkette cringe.  _"'Twas brilig, and the slithy toves~ Did gyre and gimble in the wabe~_ _All mimsy were the borogroves~ And the mome raths outgrabe~"_

"Where...? Where did you hear that?" Heart stuttered, his body beginning to tremble. 

"Hm?" Diamond stopped singing and glanced back at the red-heart ace. "From the _Jabberwocky_ , of course. A poem written by Lewis Carroll. Most of it is nonsense, but the rhymes a quite catching. What, have you heard of it before?"

"Yes..." Heart tried to calm down, his hands shaking uncontrollably. "Although, I don't really like it..." 


	19. Blood Spills Blood

Erza clashed her sword against Heart's as he tried to sneak in an attack. She was actually pretty impressed that a pacifist, like Heart, fought so well with a sword. She was intimidated, but she knew she could win.

King Heart taught her himself how to fight. Her father was a great teacher... But he taught Ace as well. Although, she noticed that her younger half-brother didn't pick up the lessons as quickly as she did. There was still a chance for her.

"I see that you haven't forgotten how to wield a sword, Ace! But-" Erza knocked the sword out of the pinkette's hands, and kicked him onto the ground. "You're far too weak, and your swings are too predictable... Did you really think that you could beat me at my own game?"

Heart fell on his back and yelped as the red queen pinned him down with a foot. The tip of her sword swished in front of his face and nearly pierced him between the eyes. He flinched and stared up at her, not saying a word.

"Silence isn't going to save you..." Erza spat coldly. "Now, crawl back to whatever rabbit hole you fell through, and Don't. Come. Back!"

"GAAH!" The pink-haired ace screamed in pain as he felt the sharp blade puncture his stomach.

The red queen pulled it out painfully slow. Scarlet blood covered the entire tip of her sword, and dripped onto the stone ground. "I'll let you leave with a warning... If you come back, I'll have to kill my own blood..."

Heart sat up and blood gushed out of his wound. He winced and held it as he watched Erza walk away. His eyes were wide in shock and he panted, trying to stay conscious.

Diamond and Spade were about to rush over and help, but the purple cat stood in front of the two.

"Leave him be. I'll take care of this." Cheshire mewed, _poofing_ back into his human form as he walked over to the ace.

"C-Cheshire! Ch-Cheshire! I c-can't b-breath..!!" Heart choked out, coughing up blood. "D-Do s-something! I-I d-don't want to d-die!" He sobbed and covered his face, tears and blood streaming down his chin. "I-I don't w-want to die... l-looking... s-so pathetic! I-I tried so h-hard, b-but she's right... I'm w-weak!"

"Save your breath, Heart." The red-haired male said calmly, kneeling down at the same level as the ace. "It's my fault. I should of commanded you to dodge it..." He held out the card for the pinkette to see. "I was controlling you... Ever since you were gone...I... I've always had your card. No... ever since the day we met."

Heart smacked his hand and cried in pain. "I don't care about that small piece of paper! Everything you're saying is just nonsense! S-Save me! It h-hurts!"

Cheshire gazed into his eyes with a cold stare. "Nonsense..." His purple cat ear twitched and he mewled with laughter. "Nonsense! Why, Master! You're a genius!"

"I d-don't understand what you me-AAAGH!" The pink-haired ace screeched in pain as the red-haired male jabbed his hand into the fresh opening of his stomach. He gagged and more blood splattered on the stone ground from his mouth.

"Heart!" Diamond and Spade shouted in horror.

Cheshire smiled and pulled his hand out, leaving a foreign object in his stomach. "Keep your card, Heart... No one will be controlling you anymore..."

Heart's pupils shrunk and he slowly closed his eyes. _It hurts... so much..._ Images flashed into his head. Images that he has never seen before. A forest. A village. A black...black night... And so much blood...

Erza stepped into her castle as the doors shut behind her. As they did, a loud shriek was heard from outside, along with shouting of terrified villagers. "What in Wonderland is going on...?"

"It's back! It's back! God forbid, it's back!"

"Run for your lives! Save yourself!"

"The _Jabberwocky_!!!!"


	20. The Queen's Finale

_Wonderland. Present..._

"The Jabberwocky!" Everyone screamed and ran into their houses, taking shelter from the beast that flew low to the ground.

The creature was as big as a house. Its rotting skin was a dull tan, rips and tears in it's large wings. Four red gleaming eyes. Almost dragon-like with the mix of a monster that could only be carved up in a nightmare. Its long, thin claws stretched out, making a person feel as if those very claws were ripping through their own skin.

"H-Heart...?" Diamond stared at the abnormal beast, his eyes widening in shock. _What just happened? How did Heart...? Why?_ He cursed under his breath and took a hold of the Cheshire's shirt collar. "What have you done to Heart, fleabag?!!" He shouted and shook the red-haired male in rage.

Cheshire didn't move an inch and only smirked at the blonde king's reaction. "Nothing... The time just came..."

"Time?... What in Wonderland do you mean? Tell me, Cheshire!" Diamond demanded, throwing the cat-like male back on his feet. 

Cheshire shrugged, his shit-eating grin not leaving his face. "Have you seen the moon?" He asked, pointing at the darkening sky. "Of course, you haven't. The moon will not show itself tonight."

"A new moon..." The blue diamond king paused and searched through the dark violet sky. "What about it?"

"Well, your lowness... My candidates are awoken from their dormant state when the sky is the darkest. You see, my power is running through their blood streams... And now the time has come for them to reek havoc for me..." Cheshire mewed and started to sing. _"'Twas brillig, and the slithy toves~ Did gyre and gimble in the wabe~ All mimsy were the borogoves~ And the mome raths outgrabe~!"_

Diamond knew the tune and whispered the second stanza to himself. _"Beware the Jabberwock, my son......The jaws that bite....the claws that catch.....Beware the Jubjub bird....and shun the frumious Bandersnatch....."_ He scoffed and glared at him. "The Jabberwocky...... A poem of nonsense and also the name of the beast that has slaughtered villages hundreds of years ago..... The same monster that has awoken on mine shaft level 13........... You're the Jabberwocky, Cheshire.... You're the _queen_ , and Heart is one of your busy bees... It's all clear now..."

Cheshire grinned widely, his purple eyes shining yellow. "Good observation, Sherlock... Over hundreds of years, not many leaders cracked my code."

The blonde king brushed his fingertips on the handle of his sword, in case he had to unsheathe it. "Why do you need other Jabberwocky? Can't you turn into one yourself?"

"Oh, if I could, I wouldn't be doing this, now would I? After I've awoken, after _you've_ found me, my powers were overwhelming. I had no idea how to control them...so... I've given half of it to Heart... None of my Jabberwocky powers are with me anymore." Cheshire turned back into a cat and landed on his four paws. "Out of all the creatures that I can transform into... I can never be a Jabberwocky again.... I can never be what I truly _am_..." 

A shriek was heard from the distance as another Jabberwocky flew in. It appeared to look the same as Heart, but its skin was the color black, and it was a lot bigger...

Spade gasped and pulled out his sword. "Dammit! Another one?!"

"Ah, yes... I forgot that Jabberwocky were attracted to one another's scent..." Cheshire swished his tail and hissed as the two males pointed their swords at him.

"You mentioned that you gave Heart half of your powers! Who was given the other half?" Diamond demanded for an answer and pressed the tip of his sword against the purple ball of fur.

Not feeling threatened by the sharp blade, Cheshire let out a mewl of laughter and _poofed_ onto the blue-diamond king's back. "Why, _Clubs_ , of course... I did _serve_ him while Heart was gone... He made an excellent Jabberwocky..." 

Heart clawed at the roof of Erza's castle, hissing with frustration as he wasn't able to get the red queen. He was not fully in control of his mind. There was only one objective in his little Jabberwocky brain, and that was to kill... His first target: The Queen of Hearts.

The black Jabberwocky, Clubs, flew over. He was not fully aware of it himself, but the beast inside has taken over him. He hissed and roared, biting the base of Heart's wing. The smaller Jabberwocky took this as a challenge and bit him back, completely forgetting his objective.

The two Jabberwockys sparred, tackling one another, slashing their claws, and tearing homes down as they battled throughout the red kingdom. They fought for dominance. They fought for which Jabberwocky will fulfill Cheshire's task and destroy all of Wonderland. 

Diamond and Spade ran into an empty bar, taking cover from the chaos happening outside. They long forgot about the purple cat's whereabouts. Nothing made sense anymore. It was all... nonsense.

A loud wail was heard from the black Jabberwocky as the smaller one topped it. Heart showed Clubs that he was the alpha of this mission. As if nothing happened, the two beasts flew back to the roof of the red castle, and started to tear it up. 

Clubs dug his black claws into the roof, fishing out the screaming queen. She hollered and struggled as his claws hung her in the air. Heart hissed and snatched the red queen away between his jaws, flying away with his black ally.  

Erza screamed, demanding to be put down. Diamond and Spade did nothing, but watch in horror, staring through the glass windows. 

Heart flew over a chapel and tossed the red-haired woman into the air. She landed on the spire, its sharp tip tearing through her body until the very top stuck out of her head. 

"A-A c-curse u-upon all f-four k-kingdoms...." Erza choked out, breathing her last breaths. "T-This isn't o-over, A-Ace...!" 

The tan Jabberwocky slid her body down the spire even further like a piece of meat on a kebab stick. A long tearing sound came from the queen as her body separated in two. Her dismembered head remained on the top of the spire.

The chapel bells chimed loudly for all to hear. The two Jabberwockys sat side-by-side, taking a moment for themselves. Blood has spilled blood. The Queen of Hearts was dead, slaughtered in the cruelest way possible. 

Nothing made sense on the night the Red Queen died... 


	21. Aftermath

_What the..?_ Heart's eyes fluttered open as he woke up in a bed. He sat up and pushed the white sheets aside. _How in the world did I get here?_ He wondered as he looked around. 

Other white beds were lined up against the walls, some beds were separated by curtains. Many patients laid in the beds with visible wounds and broken bones.

He glanced to his left side, only to see a familiar dark-haired male laying in the next bed. _Clubs? What is he doing here?_

"Heart! Thank Wonderland, you're awake!" Diamond cheered blocking the sight of the green-clover king. "I almost thought you'd never wake up."

The pinkette tilted his head, trying to look at Clubs to make sure it was him. "Why is Clubs here? What happened?"

Diamond turned around, gazing at the unconscious king, not really caring at all. "Well, let's start with what happened. There was a new moon last night, which turned you into a Jabberwocky... Apparently, Cheshire placed his powers into your bloodstream a long time ago. Clubs was also made a Jabberwocky after you've disappeared, so he flew all the way here in Jabberwock-form. The two of you destroyed nearly half of the kingdom, and you killed the Queen of Hearts..."

Heart blinked, not believing what he has just heard. "What? What's a Jabberwocky?"

The blonde king huffed and smiled a bit. "You don't want to know... All that matters is that you're alright, and that you have your kingdom back!"

Heart didn't smile back and looked around again. "Did I hurt all these people...?"

"Pssh! It doesn't matter!" Diamond waved his hand, dismissing the idea.

"Did I hurt all these people, Diamond?" The pink-haired ace repeated, staring into his blue eyes intensely.

Diamond sighed and returned the stare. "Not on purpose..."

Without saying anything else, Heart laid back down on his side, turning away from the blonde king. "I want to go home..."

"But Heart... This is your home." Diamond said softly as he stroked his pink hair. "I promise, if you stay a little longer you'll find something to stay here for..."

The pinkette closed his eyes and remained silent. A pink hue formed on his face from the gentle strokes of his hand. _I'll stay then... for you..._ He shook his head at the thought. _Gah! Idiot! Don't fall for him! I can't get too attached. It will only make leaving harder..._

Clubs groaned and sat up. "What in Wonderland...? How did I get here?"

"New moon, Jabberwocky, Cheshire, shit like that." Diamond vaguely explained, not pleased to see the green-clover king awake. "How about you sprout your Jabberwock-wings and fly back home..."

The dark-haired male shot a glare at him. "That would be nice, if only I could control it!" He spat, springing up from the bed.

The blue-diamond king shot back a glare, their intense lightning clashing together. "Just go home, Clover..."

"It's Clubs, you stupid Sparkle!"

"You want to start a fight?"

"Sure! I'll win anyways!"

"Men! This is a hospital! Set your tempers down!" Spade demanded, getting between the two males as they were about to spar with fists. "Have you no shame? If Ace was still the same, he would be scolding you far worse than I!" The black-haired male scoffed and pushed Clubs back onto his bed. He then turned to the pinkette with a smile, changing his mood. "You're looking better, Heart. So have you decided to stay in Wonderland?"

Heart sat back up and glanced at his older brother. "I-... I suppose." He said softly. "I still have a feeling that I don't belong here, but... So many people want me to stay. Not just you three, but also the villagers. When I saw joy in their grief-stricken faces as I challenged Erza I just-I just felt... at home."

Spade smiled and nodded, sitting down an the end of Heart's bed. "What was it like on the other side of the rabbit hole? What kind of life did you have before this?"

The pink-haired ace cupped his own hands together and stared down at the white bed sheets. It was easy to remember a past that he knows he experienced. "I lived in a small town in Japan. Nothing extreme happens there, it's pretty normal. I went to a private school with my foster sister... Cana... She always teases me, just like how any sibling would. The last day I was there... School ended and I saw a weird rabbit... Then I ended up here."

Diamond listened as well and wanted to respond. "So you're use to a normal life, and all of a sudden you have a complicated past slapped right into your face... No wonder you want to go home." He looked down, feeling guilty.

"Well, when shit is thrown in your face like that, you just have to deal with it." Clubs stated bluntly. He obviously didn't care about all this sentimental stuff. He just wanted to be back in his own kingdom... or Diamond gone... Either way would be nice.

Diamond glared at him for making such an inconsiderate response. "If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all..."

"Who are you, my mother?" The dark-haired male retorted.

"I'd be very disappointed if I were."

"Guys!" Heart stopped the two this time. "Save it for another day... I'm tired... I'm depressed... I want to go home... Just let me sleep..." He groaned. 

Diamond and Clubs glared at each other one more time and looked the other way. "Fine..." They both said in unison.


	22. Butterfly Effect

_Wonderland. Many years ago..._

She was just a normal servant girl from one kingdom, but caused chaos in another. This terrible sickness all started on this day with one single butterfly. 

"Ouch!" Juvia gasped in pain as she felt a pinch on the back of her neck. She smacked her hand on top of the butterfly, killing it with one blow. "What in Wonderland? A butterfly?" She stared at her hand as it was smeared with blue blood, along with the smashed insect. 

Doing as she was told, the blue-haired servant was harvesting Club's private garden. She flicked the dead butterfly onto the ground and tried to wash off the blood with a hose. 

No luck. Not only was one hand blue, but now both. 

Juvia sighed. "I guess I'll have to wash up inside. Maybe I just need soap..."She mumbled to herself as she carried a basket of tomatoes with her.

She walked out of the courtyard and back into the green castle. After storing the basket of goods into the kitchen, she swept back to her room and into the private bathroom.

Cold water rushed out of the facet as she wet a rag. Juvia scrubbed her neck, but the blue stains were not going away. Scrubbing even harder, she began to get frustrated. "Dammit! Why is this not going away!" She shouted.

Finally, giving up she threw the rag into the sink and turned off the water. Looking into the mirror, she noticed the blue stains grew larger. Whatever was happening to her, it was not normal.

Juvia stared at herself in shock and pulled out a razor from a drawer. "If I can't wash it off, I'll just have to shave it... There's no way I'm going to let Clubs see me like this. He's just going to laugh..." She brought the blade to her neck, about to peel off the discolored skin.

"Taking a razor to the neck is pretty daring for a girl~" A purple cat mewed as he sat on the windowsill beside the sink.

Juvia gasped and dropped the razor. "A cat?! How did you get in here?!"

"How I always get around, a shortcut." Cheshire grinned and _poofed_ on top of the shower curtain rim. "You seem to be in a _blue_ situation," he purred, laughing at his own bad pun.  

The blue-haired female rolled her eyes. "Who are you anyways? Did you do this to me?!" She demanded for an answer, looking up at the smiling cat.

The purple feline swished his tail, his wide grin not leaving his face. "Cheshire is the name my master gave me... Hehe... And no, I did nothing of the sort."

"You lie! You did do something, and you're going to tell me! Did you enchant that butterfly?!"

Cheshire snickered and dug his claws into the shower curtain. "Again, I did nothing. I'm just here because I like seeing others in terrible situations... It's entertaining..." He paused for a long minute. "You're green with envy, in this case, blue. The butterfly was not the only cause of your little problem. You're envious over something... More specifically, _someone_." 

Juvia narrowed her eyes and tried to hide the fact that it was true. "I'm not envious..." 

"Then you're the one that lies." The purple cat stated bluntly, grinning ear-to-ear. "Actually, check King Club's throne room. You'll find a quite interesting visitor~" 

Before she could protest, Cheshire poofed away, his laughs echoing throughout the small room. 

* * *

 

Clubs sat in his thrown, chatting with the pinkette, who sat next to him. It's only been a few minutes since Heart has arrived from Diamond's kingdom. The trip back to the red kingdom was taking longer than expected, so the pink-haired ace decided to stay at Club's castle for tonight. 

"Is anything bothering you, Heart? You've been shaking ever since you've gotten here." Clubs glanced at the red-heart ace, feeling concerned on what has happened. 

Heart glanced back, his onyx eyes shaken with terror. "I-I wish I can tell you, b-but... I just c-can't... My voice won't let me... It hurts..." 

The dark-haired male frowned. He didn't like seeing the wise peacemaker look so... _weak_. "You can tell me anything, Heart. I promise, I won't laugh. There's no need to be shy."

Heart fiddled with his gloves and mumbled softly, "I want to... Believe me, I do... But I just can't. No matter how hard I try, I can't get the words out... All I can say is that I'm in a very terrible situation, and I'm.... I-I'm scared..." He started to shake again, remembering that Cheshire had his card... _His soul_... The painful song was still stuck in his head. As well as the painful name... " _Jabberwocky_..." He whispered, too soft for Clubs to hear.

The pinkette suddenly stopped shaking as he felt the green-clover king wrap his arms around him. He stood up from his throne, just to hug him and rid the terrible memories from his mind. "Clubs...?" 

Clubs smiled reassuringly and hugged him a bit tighter. "You don't have to be scared. Whatever is troubling you, I'm here... Besides, I don't want Wonderland's peacemaker to be frightened like a little kid. What if I start a war with Diamond again? Who would stop me?"

Heart laughed a bit and leaned into the warm hug, gently hugging back. "You've got a point, but... You won't understand without knowing the truth."

"I don't the need to know the truth..." Clubs kissed the younger male's forehead. "I care about you, Heart-no-I love you. Knowing that is enough. So forget about whatever happened at Diamond's kingdom. I'll do anything to help you forget... You've helped me one time, so I'll do the same." He kissed him again, this time on the lips.

Heart's eyes widened in shock, but softened as he melted into the passionate gesture. A red blush seeped through his cheeks and he parted his lips from the older male. "Please don't do that again..." He muttered, feeling as if he betrayed his entire kingdom and royal family. "I'm a peacemaker... I shouldn't be doing intimate stuff like this... It's like choosing sides..."

The dark-haired king chuckled. "You'd be making the right choice if you choose my side." He brought their lips back together and deepened the kiss. He found it funny that the pinkette didn't fight back and just let him do it again. 

"See? What did I tell you?" Cheshire mewed as he hid behind one of the pillars with the blue-haired servant.

Juvia tensed up as she watched her leader making out with another leader. It was revolting and she just wanted to stop it all. It didn't take long for the single patch of pale skin on her face turn blue. 


	23. Mad Division

Heart stretched out his joints and ran down the hall of his castle. His wounds have healed, and he's gotten use to his surroundings. 

The throne room was on the south side, the kitchen and dining room was on the east side, the archive or library was on the north side, and the sleep quarters were on the west side.  He knew his castle pretty well. The only place he hasn't checked was the basement. 

Spade told him to check it out, because the basement is where they held the dungeon. He's been without Diamond and the others, but that was fine. He could take care of himself and his kingdom. 

 _Alright! Let's check it out!_ Heart thought as he went down the basement stairs, leading straight to the dungeons. 

"Helloooo!" He called down the hall of cells. There was no response. He shrugged. _I guess no one is here..._

About to leave, the pinkette stopped at the edge of the stairs.

"Howdy, Stranger!" A voice was heard on the other side of the hall.

Heart ran down there and checked the cell. A blonde woman was chained up and hanging upside down. He stared at her for a moment, a bit baffled. "Hold on, I'll get you out of there!" He fiddled with the keys in his pocket and opened the cell, then went to work on unlocking all the locks on the chains. 

The blonde woman smiled and laughed. "My my, you're not a stranger! You're Ace Heart! My teacups! I thought you were dead! The red queen locked me up here because she had no use with me! Hehe! It's Wonderlandful!" 

Heart blinked and unlocked the last lock. The woman slipped out and fell on her head. He didn't really worry, since it seemed like she was already dropped on her head as a baby. "Are you the Hatter?" He guessed. 

"You're wrong! I am the Hatter! The one and only out of hundreds! Aren't I terrible!" The Hatter laughed more and stumbled up on her feet. She dusted off dirt from her trench coat.

The pink-haired ace pinched his nose. She smelled really bad. Probably from the fact that she hasn't showered in years. "Are you speaking in opposites? By terrible, do you mean Wonderlandful-I mean wonderful..." 

The blonde girl nodded. "No!"

"I'll take that as a yes... You see, I lost my memories so I don't really know who you are personally... Were we friends?"

"No! Definitely were not!"

"So yes?"

"No!"

Heart blinked several times. "Let's just go upstairs so you can have a bath..." He mumbled and laughed a bit. 

* * *

 

Hatter dried her hair as she examined her lab. She hadn't seen it in years, so she had to remember where she placed all her junk. "You lost your memory, eh? Too bad I have a cure for that. I remember where it is."

Heart sat on a stool and tried to decipher what she just said. "Do you mean you don't have a cure?"

"Nope!" She smiled and placed her large hat on top of her head. "Maybe I should speak the opposite of opposite, so you can understand me, eh?"

The pinkette sighed and smiled back. "Please do..." His head was starting to ache from translating everything she said. 

Hatter nodded and started mixing random liquids. "Well, I don't have a cure, Heart. Not in potion form at least... But I do know where you can get your memories!" She poured a green liquid into a green one and it turned orange. 

Heart perked his head up and listened closely. "Really? How?"

The blonde woman poured the liquid into a teacup and drank it. "The rabbit hole." She took another sip and burped. 

A cloud of orange blew into the pinkette's face and he coughed. "W-What about it?" He stuttered, a tear going down his eye from the stench. 

Hatter caught the tear in her teacup and smashed it into a boiling pot. _"Double, double toil and trouble; Fire burn and cauldron bubble."_ She chanted as she waved her hands over the steaming pot. "Have you read _Macbeth_?" She asked with a smile.

Heart shook his head and coughed a bit. "How can I get my memories back from the rabbit hole?" He asked, trying to get back on topic. 

Hatter snapped her fingers and the lights turned off. The green glow from the pot was the only thing they could see. The green steam swirled around, showing a map. "This is a map of the rabbit hole. Of course, this is only one thousandth of the entire system, but it's all you need... Follow the path that is laid out on this map, and it will lead you to your memories." She swooshed her hand down and all of the green steam vacuumed back into the cauldron. She dipped a vial in and handed it to Heart.

The pink haired ace held it in his hands and stared at it. "Okay... Is that all?"

The blonde girl nodded. "Yes. I suggest you bring a companion along. The rabbit hole is very dangerous. What if you accidentally find your way back into the other world? You know, the one where you created false memories."

Heart grumbled a bit and slipped the vial into his pocket. "Thanks for the information, Hatter... I'll bring Diamond with me." 

"No problem, Ace." Hatter smiled and went back to mixing random liquids. 

The pinkette waved bye and left the lab. Was he really going to get his memories back? It excited him, but... He was afraid... What if he remembers something he doesn't want to remember? 

 _Clubs..._ Heart thought of the dark-haired male. He didn't remember their relationship, but he could tell they were close... Closer than friends at least. If he does remember, hopefully he won't develop feelings for him again. It would only make his current situation harder... He already had feelings for Diamond, but with Clubs added to the equation...- _God... What am I going to do?_


	24. One Night Sin

_Wonderland. Many years ago..._

Juvia pulled a cloak over her unnaturally colored-skin. Every inch of her turned blue. _I have to find a cure..._ She thought as she left her room. Walking down the hall, she passed Club's sleeping quarters. She wasn't surprised to hear moaning coming from behind the door.

The green-clover king finally got his way with the pinkette, so he would be distracted for a fair amount of time. There was no need to stay quiet and sneak out, when they were the ones making all the noise. Juvia simply rolled her eyes and kept walking. _Hm... Heart... I'll have to go to his kingdom. Hatter may have a cure for this..._

* * *

"A-Ahn~!" Heart moaned and dug his nails into the older male's shoulders. Taking the submissive role, he could already feel the more experienced leader's member thrusting inside him. His body trembled in pleasure as it was being taken for the first time. "F-Faster!" He managed to huff out. His moans becoming muffled as his lips were captured into a heated kiss.

Clubs kissed him passionately and moaned as well, picking up the pace as he thrusted faster into the ace. This moment was too perfect for him. He never thought he would share this kind of experience with the pinkette. They never dated and they weren't married, yet Heart was completely into this and didn't object.

His lips tasted so sweet, and his walls were soft and warm, wrapping around his cock like a gentle hug. It felt so good, like he was in heaven. The contrast of how gentle the pinkette felt compared to his rough thrusting was such a great match. He couldn't think of anything better.

"Aah~mmhha~.." Heart moaned in ecstasy at the increasing rough movement. Nothing else mattered anymore. He was only focused on feeling Club's cock sliding in and out of his tight entrance. _If only this could last forever..._ He thought, biting his lip as he held back more moans. 

Of course, their time together had to stop. This wasn't right. It was treason to be fraternizing with another leader. Friendly interactions were allowed, but stepping up to this level of intimacy was forbidden.

 It turns out that Heart fell into the same sin as his parents, who were also leaders of different kingdoms. His mother, the Queen of Spades, paid the price with her life after giving birth to him. Will the same happen to him? Will they kill him for sleeping with Clubs? Or will Clubs be the one to die? That was even worse. He didn't want Clubs to die because of him.

"S-Stop!" The pinkette panted out, pushing the older male away, and groaning in displeasure as he felt his member leave him. "W-We  can't do t-this..." He stuttered, trying to catch his breath.

Panting as well, Clubs stared at him for a moment and blinked. "Y-You're right... What was I thinking?" He held his head in pain and looked down. "Ay me... It's too late now... Hopefully, no one heard us...... Let's not speak of this again." He got up from the bed and slipped on his pants. "I'll sleep in the guest room... Good night, Heart."

"Good night..." Heart said softly as he curled up on the bed. _Oh, no no no.... What have I done...? This is terrible... I committed a sin that can not be undone... Oh, Wonderland! Save me! Why am I such a fool!_   _Guts! Why did this happen to me?! Why can't Cupid's arrow spare me!_ He cover his face and began to weep. _No... this can't be... but it is..... I'm in love..._

* * *

"I came to see the Hatter." Juvia informed, walking past the guards as they let her in. She made her way to the crazy blonde's lab and knocked on the wooden door. "It's Juvia Lockser of the Clubs Kingdom."

"It's tea time! Come back later!" Hatter called from the other side of the door.

The blue-haired female sighed and opened the door herself. "I can't wait for later! I'm in a pickle."

"You're in a pickle?" Hatter blinked. "it doesn't look like it..." She laughed and smashed her teacup on the table. "And I thought I was mad!" 

Juvia rolled her eyes and brought down her hood. "I'm turning blue!" She finally admitted.

The blonde girl stared at her face with a jaw-dropping expression. "Oh my teacups! The sickness is back?! The plague! The plague! You have the blue plague!" 

 


	25. The Vorpal Ball

_Don't be afraid to get your memories back!_ Heart told himself in his head. _I shouldn't be afraid! Knowing my past won't change my feelings for Diamond! They won't!_ He exhaled deeply and flapped his arms, shaking his worries away.

He didn't notice he missed the blonde king so much until now. His face became flushed just from the thought of him. Diamond was exactly the person he wanted to be with once he received his lost memories. If the memories were going to upset him in any way, Diamond would be the one to comfort him and pull him through it.

"You got this, Heart! There's nothing to it!" The pinkette motivated himself as he hopped onto a white horse, which apparently was his. It was a good thing that he took polo as a sport. If he could ride a horse while swinging a mallet, then riding alone was going to be a piece of cake.

Heart gently nudged the horse's side with his heel and took off towards the blue kingdom. Traveling was going to be a lot faster, now that he doesn't need to walk on foot anymore.   
  


* * *

 

Galloping to a stop, the pinkette slipped off his horse and tied it's reigns next to Diamond's golden-brown steed. Seeing his horse meant that he was still here.

Heart made his way out of the stable and towards the blue castle. The capital was very beautiful. Streets were made out of silver and were carefully chiseled with elegant designs. Houses that surrounded the streets were made out of shiny white marble. And most of all, Diamond's castle itself was the jewel of the capital, brilliantly scraping the skies with its tall crystal towers, and spreading a glitter of sunlight on everything around it.

It took a while for the pinkette to notice that no one was in sight. _Where did everybody go?_ He wondered as he walked up to the castle's front gate. Not even the guards were on duty. _There must be some kind of event..._

He pushed open the gate and let himself in. Once he was inside the castle, he could hear music echoing throughout the hall. The tune sounded like a waltz... Ballroom music, perhaps? _Ah! Diamond must be throwing a ball! That's why no one was outside. They're all here... I wonder what the event is for?_

Heart slid into the ballroom with the door against his back. He tried not to run into the dancing subjects as he searched for the blue-diamond king. He had to stand on his tippy-toes to look over the large crowd. 

Diamond was standing on the balcony, spectating the event with a smile on his face. He appeared to be having fun as he chatted with his servants who walked by to ask how he was doing. 

"Diamond!" Heart called as he ran up the stairs. 

The blonde turned his head and stared at the ace with a look of surprise. "Heart? What brings you here? Is something wrong?" 

Heart quickly bowed his head, trying to remember his royalty etiquette. "I came to speak with you!" He huffed out awkwardly.

Diamond snickered, about to laugh at how foolish he was acting. "No need for the formalities... We're friends after all." He said with a smile.

"Ah... Yes, friends..." The pink-haired ace blinked, thinking he just had deja vu. "What's with the ball?" He finally asked. 

"Oh, the ball? It's called the Vorpal Ball. We hold it once a year to celebrate the birth of our new capital, Vorpal. Back then, when Neun ruled, this use to be an ordinary village. This is the 611th celebration." Diamond explained, happy to share his kingdom's history. 

"Wow. That's a lot of years." Heart gaped in awe and watched the people dance. "I don't have any memories of going to a ball... It looks fun."

Diamond smiled, knowing exactly what the pinkette was thinking. "Perhaps, you'd like to stay?"

"Oh, no! I can't! Thank you, but I don't know how to dance!" The pink-haired ace waved his hand, dismissing the idea. "Besides, I'm not wearing anything suited for a ball..." 

"I see..." The blonde king pondered a moment and called over his servants. "Rogue! Yukino! Help Ace Heart by finding him proper attire for the event. I think we have something in the guest wardrobe"

"Right away, King Diamond." The two servants obeyed and brought Heart with them to the guest quarters.

Heart followed them into a bedroom and looked around, admiring the decorations that covered the walls. They were portraits of what looked like old leaders from back then. There weren't only  portraits of Diamond leaders, but also leaders from the other kingdoms. _Seben Clubs... Zehn Spade... Neun Diamond...... Deuce Heart..._ He read the names of the leaders that were under each painting. He was astounded at how Deuce Heart looked so much like him, except with cherry red hair. The sandy-blonde, Neun, also looked a lot like the Diamond he knew now. 

"Here, stand on the stool." Rogue advised as he pulled out a small stool from under the vanity.

Heart nodded and stood on the stool, trying not to fidget away from the raven-haired servant as he stripped him down. He still wasn't use to having servants dress him. 

Once they were done dressing him, he stepped down from the stool and examined himself in the mirror. He was wearing a waistcoat like the one before with the same pink button-down shirt underneath. Instead of a bow-tie, a white ribbon with red stripes was tied around his shirt collar. Another ribbon just like it was sewed to the back of his red trench coat, his coat patterned with heart shaped stitching. 

Heart stared at himself a bit longer, recognizing the outfit. He brought his attention back to the portraits, just to verify his thoughts. "Isn't this Deuce Heart's outfit?"

Yukino nodded. "Yes it is. Back then Deuce Heart use to visit and spend the night here. Even hundreds of years ago, the Diamond and Heart kingdoms were close." She smiled and fixed the pinkette's shirt collar. 

Rogue pondered and glanced back and forth between Heart and the portrait. "Say, you look a lot like the old leader..."

"Mhm! Especially in those clothes!" The silver-haired servant agreed. "You should head back to the ballroom. I'm sure King Diamond is waiting for you." 

Heart nodded, blushing a bit at the thought. _Nah, he's probably having too much fun to notice... It's not like he has the same feelings as I do... Does he?_ He sighed and walked into the ballroom again. 

Diamond brought his attention to the main door of the ballroom. His jaw dropped halfway as he saw the pinkette walk in, his red clothing standing out from all of the blue. He quickly regained his composure and walked through the crowd with a smile. "You look amazing, Heart."

The pink-haired ace smiled back and blushed the same color as his clothes. "Thanks-ah?!" He gasped as the blue-diamond king brought him close, his hand wrapped around his waist. "W-What are you doing?!" He blurted out, his face turning red and his mind going haywire. 

"I'm teaching you how to dance." The blonde simply said, not understanding why the younger leader was flushed. "Loosen up a bit, you can't dance when your body is all stiff like that." He chuckled and took a few rhythmic steps, matching the beat of the waltz. "Just follow my footsteps and let me guide you."

Feeling his heart throb a thousand beats per second, Heart held the blonde king's hand, staring down at his feet as he tried to follow along.

"Try not to look down." He advised. "If you step on my foot, I won't be mad... Trust me." 

The pinkette looked up, locking eye-contact with his deep-blue eyes. 

"See? You're a lot lighter on your feet now." Diamond laughed a bit and gave the ace a twirl.

Heart gasped a bit in shock and faced the older leader's face again. "I'm not a girl!" He spat, feeling offended. His fiery eyes then softened as he could not stay mad at that charming smile. "Diamond... There's something I need to tell you..."

The blonde king stopped dancing  and listened to what he had to say. "Yes, Heart?"

The red-heart ace hesitated for a moment and sighed. "I'm going to the rabbit hole tonight. Hatter told me that my memories are there... So I'm going to get them back."

Diamond's grip suddenly tightened around his hand. Was he upset? The pinkette wondered. But before he could even say anything a puff of purple smoke came from the corner of the room, and everyone from that area ran away screaming.

"It's a Bandersnatch! Run away!" 

Diamond took his hand away from Heart's and ran off towards the mysterious creature. "Damn, Cheshire!"

 


	26. A Caterpillar's Pipe

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Follow my Wattpad account to get faster updates! This chapter has already been posted for a long time on Wattpad, and I've forgotten to update it here on Archive. There are also "specials" that I write for this story and they can only be found there! Sorry if this chapter is really short, I lost the original so I tried to type what I can remember. I'll be writing longer chapters in the near future.

_Wonderland. Many years ago..._

"The blue plague?" Juvia raised an eyebrow and tilted her head. She's never heard of a blue plague before.

"You know, almost like the black plague, expect you turn blue. This disease doesn't have a lot recorded... So I have no idea what is going to happen to you. You'll die is my best guest." Hatter informed as she went on with her potion mixing.

"I'll die?" The blunette scoffed and watched the crazed female stir away. "Surely, you have a cure for this... Right? I mean... You're the Hatter."

"Only _a_ hatter... One out of three. I don't know everything." The blonde replied as she poured the liquid into a bottle, screwing a pipe on.

"There's other hatters?"

"There's other _hats_... But that's for Season 2."

"Season 2?" Juvia blinked, having no idea what she meant.

"Oh, I'm sorry. That was something called, _breaking the fourth wall_." Hatter smiled and pushed further questions aside. "Here. Smoke this for twenty minutes, and only twenty minutes. It's opium. It will reduce the effects of the disease, but it can become very addictive. Do not smoke more than you need or it will not work."

Juvia held the pipe that was handed to her and nodded. "Alright. Good day, Hatter." She kissed her forehead in a respectful goodbye and left.

* * *

 

Juvia huffed out a cloud of blue as she took her final breath of opium. It's been two hours, not twenty minutes. Hatter was right. The drug really was addicting. She tried to stop herself, but she needed more. Now, she's at the point where she doesn't have any left...

She'll have to get more, but where? The Kingdom of Diamonds was rumored to sell opium. It's illegal to sell opium in Wonderland, unless for medical reasons, but all legal opium salesman need a Spade Seal, as well as the buyer. She didn't have a Spade Seal, so the black market was her only option.

Sneaking out of the Green Kingdom, Juvia made her way to the blue one. She pulled on the reigns of her multi-colored horse, guiding it into the hidden alleys of the capital.

The streets were eerie, and very unwelcoming. They weren't even made of silver, just plain old gravel. The peasants sitting in their tents were even unwelcoming. It even felt illegal just to be there.

Juvia shivered and bought what she needed, leaving as fast as she could. They took her horse as payment, but she was too addicted to care. 

She carefully placed the opium in her pipe and burned it, taking several quick wafts of it. Juvia felt disgusted of herself, but she couldn't help it. She was addicted. She was mad. 

Smoking in the middle of public streets definitely brought other's attention. She could hear the dislike in everyone's voices as she passed by, lost in her own world. She huffed out different colors of smoke and didn't bother to care if others were staring. 

Juvia hid her pipe and booked into a hotel. It was late after all and she spent her night in the Kingdom of Diamonds. She didn't smoke in her hotel room, for she knew they'll be complaints about the smell. Instead, the blunette curled up in her bed and closed her eyes...

Sunlight shined through the drapes, and Juvia opened her eyes. _Blue_. She couldn't see anything, but blue... _I can't breathe!_ Unable to move, her entire body was encased into a blue cocoon.


	27. Blade Against Snatch

A purple serpent slithered out of the corner of the ballroom, baring a screaming man between its jaws. Its six insect-like appendages along its underbelly flailed in the air as it battered the crowd away. With a loud smack of its jaws, the man's back snapped in two and both severed parts fell to the ground. The creature hissed menacingly, its black tongue flicking out and spraying a mild venom into Diamond's face.

Diamond glared at the animal, his face singeing in pain as the venom seeped into his cheeks. "Your breath stinks, Cheshire..." He said as he continued to face the creature.

The corners of Cheshire's mouth sharpened, grinning as widely as he can. Venom dripped from his fangs and he chortled with discorded laughter. "Do you like my new look? I'm just taking my Bandersnatch shift on a test drive! Ahahaha!"

"It's more terrifying than the last," answered Diamond with a straight face.

Cheshire returned a glare and continued to laugh. "Hahaha! It seems like everyday you get more like your great great great great grandfather!" He slithered around Diamond, coiling him up. "Same dull expression... Same stupid heroic attitude... Even the Nine of Diamonds' appearance was passed down to you through many generations!"

"Why, thank you." The blonde male grinned and slipped his sword out from the scaly coils. "But that's not the only thing passed down to me."

With a stab of his sword into the Bandersnatch's flesh, tall shards of white stone erupted from the ground and pierced straight through the serpent's coils.

Cheshire shrieked and thrashed around, breaking the stone spires as he slithered away with the shards still punctured through his body. "M-Magic?!" He hissed and pulled the spires out. "Since when were you able to do that?!"

Diamond smirked and sheathed his sword. "I don't like to show it off." Stomping his foot on the floor, a series of more spires shot out from the ground and aimed for the purple beast.

Cheshire stared in shock and _poofed_ at the last second, disappearing from the ballroom.

Heart stared in shock as well and walked over to the blonde king. "How did you..?"

"Your highness! Are you kidding me?!" The servant, Rogue, shouted. "Now we have to rebuild the ballroom floor!"

Diamond laughed and dismissed everyone. "Better the floor, than your life."

The raven-haired servant grumbled and looked away.

"How long have you had magic..?" Heart asked, recovering from the shock.

"Since I was born." The blonde king simply answered.

The pink-haired ace blinked. "But how?!"

"Hmm... Well, my great great great great grandmother was Alice. I'm the first of her descendants to obtain her power." Diamond smiled, as if everything he said was normal.

Heart blinked again, even more flabbergasted than before. "Your great great great-uuuhh- however many greats you said- grandmother... was ALICE?! The powerful wizard that brought together the first four leaders of Wonderland?!"

Diamond nodded.

"Ahhhhhhh....." Heart stared blankly into his face, double flabbergasted. _Good looks and magic? Shit, this guy is the whole package..._

"So, Heart." Diamond snapped the ace out of his trance. "You were saying something about the rabbit hole earlier... That you're going to get your memories back?"

"Mhm."

"And you want me to come along?"

"Mhm."

"...Are you going to keep answering like that?"

"Mhm." Heart smiled and headed towards the exit. "Come on! Let's go! I have a kingdom to run after this!"

"Okay, Heart." Diamond smiled back and followed the ace. To him, it seemed like the Ace of Hearts already knew about the past. He was still the same ace he knew and loved.


End file.
